The Port Charles Love Wars
by xxjmm96xx
Summary: Looks like Sam going into a coma could be more than an accident. A killer is running through Port Charles and it will affect everyone. Who are the real targets? Shocking discoveries and surprising deaths. Mostly JaSam and Lante. Make sure to review! Enjoy
1. Meaningless Love

Sam was just sitting on a lounge chair, outside on her deck of her apartment, marveling at how beautiful and bright the stars were tonight. The moonlight glinted off the water of her hot tub.

She sighed contentedly and leaned all the way back in her chair. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing.

No sooner had she closed her eyes than the images came back. They played in her mind like a slide show....A slide show she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried.

The calm waters and white beach sand, the house they had owned in Hawaii. Finally returning home from Hawaii to find that her brother, Danny, was dead. Herself, living in grief for months, and HIM helping her cope. Herself in a hospital bed, hitting HIM as he was trying to hold her, after he told her her baby girl was stillborn. And finally their breakup. The HIM she was referring to was none other than Jason Morgan. The man that she had once loved so much, and who had also broken her heart.

Sam opened her eyes. Shaking her head, she got up and went inside. She hated this. Her life had gotten so off track, and she didn't need to be reminded of it every time she closed her eyes.

_Your happy now. _Sam reminded herself sharply. Lucky's sweet face came into her mind.

This actually made her smile a little. Sure she felt guilty sometimes. Really the only reason she had first hooked up with Lucky was because she was hurt and wanted to get back at Jason and Elizabeth. Jason was only with Elizabeth because she had given him what she couldn't, a child of his own.

But she had grown to like Lucky. Not as much as she had loved Jason, but enough to enjoy him. Besides, it wasn't like Lucky wasn't using her, too.

Just as Sam was about to sink into the couch, she heard a knock at the door. She went to go answer the door. On her way to answer the door she glanced at the clock. It read 10:39p.m.

Sam looked at herself in the mirror quickly. She looked plain in a thin long sleeved shirt and jeans.

When she was satisfied, she opened the door.


	2. Needed

Sam opened the door with a sexy smile, expecting Lucky. Boy was she surprised at who she found at her door.

Her smile faded and was replaced with a little "o" of surprise. _Speak of the Devil, _Sam thought to herself.

She stared for awhile before recovering. "Oh, umm…Jason. Hi."

"I'm sorry I had to come by so late, but I really need your help."

"Ok, well do you wanna come in?" Sam asked Jason, confused.

"There really isn't time." Jason replied.

"Let me just grab a jacket. I'll be right there." She said to Jason, before turning around and began hurriedly searching for her coat. She spied it on the couch and went to get it. She reappeared at the door. "Ok let's go." She said to Jason.

"Follow me." Jason said.

Sam obeyed.

A few minutes later, they were standing outside the door to Jason's apartment.

Sam hesitated. "What are we doing here?" She looked up at Jason.

"You'll see." Jason said with a sigh, unlocking his door. He pushed it open and disappeared inside.

Sam followed but wondered why Jason was being so secretive. She was sure that he would have told her by now. They have grown to be good friends, even after everything. Sam realized she was still standing out in the hallway. She stepped inside quickly and shut the door behind her.

When Sam was inside, everything seemed normal….and very very familiar.

She looked around, feeling an ache appear in her chest. There was the same old couch, where they had talked and connected so many times. The same little table where they had eaten Chinese food, right before Jason had proposed to her. The stairs, which Jason had carried her up so many times, either to his bedroom or hers. It was too much, she couldn't… she couldn't do this.

Sam opened her mouth to give some excuse to Jason so she could leave. She closed her mouth though, and fought back the flow of tears, threatening to spill over. She also tried to keep her other emotions at bay.

_Stop it! You're just being stupid and pathetic now, _Sam reprimanded herself. _Jason obviously needs you, or else he wouldn't have asked you to come here._ Yet the memories just kept coming.

"Uh, Sam?" Jason's voice came from behind her.

"Yeah, sorry." Sam turned around to face Jason, pushing her emotions way back in the back of her mind. Facing Jason, she prayed her eyes weren't filled with unshed tears. She cleared her throat. "Um…What did you say was wrong again?"

That's when Sam heard it, a loud painful moan. She raised her eyebrows questioningly at Jason.

"Was that Spinelli?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Jason said. "It's a long story, but please I really need your help. I'll explain later." When Jason saw that Sam still was looking at him skeptically, he ran his hand through his hair and looked into her eyes. Had they always been that pretty? "Please? You'll understand. He's upstairs. Come on." He started up the stairs.

He soon heard Sam's footsteps on the stairs behind him. Jason looked back to see Sam shaking her head. He allowed himself a small smile and continued climbing.

As they were climbing, the moans of pain grew louder. Sam realized that they were coming from her old room. She sucked in a breath sharply. Jason heard and turned his head slightly to make sure she was ok. Sam pretended like she didn't notice.

They indeed stopped in front of the door of Sam's old room. Jason knocked on the door before entering.

Sam followed dutifully through the door into the room. It hadn't changed much. The pink walls were still there. When the sun came through the windows it looked so gorgeous. The same bed, which was a little weird…Sam was surprised that Spinelli hadn't changed anything.

Speaking of Spinelli…Sam looked down at the bed and saw Spinelli lying there, with Maxie by his side, and a very bloody foot. He looked pretty pale and was clutching his bloody foot. He was in a great deal of pain. He let out another moan.

"Spinelli! What happened?" Sam asked, full of concern. She went to sit on the edge of the bed. "Hey Maxie." She said, smiling in Maxie's direction. Maxie smiled and waved back. Sam then looked up at Jason for an explanation.

Before Jason could talk, Spinelli burst out, "Fair Samantha we are in dire need of your assistance!"

"Shh Spinelli." Maxie shushed Spinelli.

Jason looked at Spinelli, and then Sam, sighed, and began. "Well Spinelli thought it would be a good idea to practice with my handgun without me knowing." Jason paused to glare sternly at Spinelli.

"But Stone Cold, I spent hours in the arcade! My scores were in the tens of thousands!" Spinelli babbled before clutching his foot again in pain.

Jason just shook his head at Spinelli and continued. "So I walked through the door and there he was holding my gun. I guess he didn't expect me to be back so soon, I think I scared him and then the gun went off. And so he shot himself in the foot. I didn't want to bring him to the hospital because they have to report every gunshot wound to the police and Spinelli doesn't have a license. So that's why I called you here. I was hoping you could patch him up?" Jason finished.

Sam sighed. It was going to be a long night. _I wonder how I will explain this to Lucky._


	3. All Patched Up

_Sorry it took so long to update. I have been EXTREMLY busy! And then I got sidetracked. I had it typed and it wouldn't let me post it. Well anyway here is the next chapter. Enjoy. And don't be afraid to comment. XD _

"Ok I still don't understand why you brought me here instead of Elizabeth who is a nurse Jason." Sam told Jason while closely examining Spinelli's foot.

Jason answered from by the closed door. He leaned against it with his arms crossed, watching Sam. "I didn't want to bother Elizabeth and the boys this late. I'd wake up the whole house if I went at this time. And I didn't want to freak her out or no reason."

Sam nodded silently. It always came down to protecting the perfect angel Elizabeth. _More like slimy whore._ Sam thought, but kept her mouth shut.

Maxie was still by Spinelli's side, stroking his sweaty hair.

"You're lucky Spinelli. It looks like the bullet isn't lodged in your foot. It grazed it pretty bad, which is why you're bleeding so badly. I'm gonna have to clean this out so it doesn't get infected." Sam sat back when she was done looking at Spinelli's foot.

Sam looked at Jason and Maxie. "I'm gonna need towels, disinfectant, bandages, and water please."

Jason nodded. "Let's go Maxie." he said.

Maxie got off the bed, trying not to jostle Spinelli. "I'll be back Spinelli." She leaned down and kissed his forehead gently.

Spinelli smiled weakly. "The Jackal will be anxiously awaiting your return." he replied.

Maxie smiled and walked through the door that Jason held open. Jason walked out behind her and closed the door, leaving Sam and Spinelli alone.

"The Jackal hoped you accept his gracious apologies Fair Samantha." Spinelli said after a few moments of silence.

"Oh for what Spinelli?" Sam asked, standing up from the bed and running a hand through her hair.

"Well I'm sure you have much better places to be then fixing up a wanna-be mobster who shot himself in the foot." Spinelli replied glumly.

"Are you kidding Spinelli?" Sam said with a laugh. "There isn't any place I'd rather be. And besides, you're a genius with the tech work, you don't need to be a mobster." Sam finished, giving Spinelli a smile.

Spinelli looked like he was going to say something, but changed his mind and smiled instead. He leaned back into his pillows. "I will be forever in your debt Fair Samantha."

Sam just shook her head and smiled to herself.

A few minutes late, Jason and Maxie returned with the materials Sam had asked for.

"Thanks guys." Sam said, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn. "Alright Spinelli, lets get started."

Spinelli just nodded.

Sam grabbed a towel and dipped it into the bowl of water as Maxie resumed her spot by Spinelli.

"This might hurt." Sam said to him. Spinelli nodded again.

San saw Jason yawn out of the corner of her eye. She looked over at him and smiled tiredly at him.

He smiled back and resumed his position by the door, watching the scene in front of him.

Sam lowered the towel onto Spinelli's foot to start cleaning out the blood. Spinelli winced a couple of times, but didn't cry out. _Trying to be tough in front of Maxie._ Sam thought knowingly, smiling in her head. Sam was glad he didn't cry out, all she needed was a headache on top of lack of sleep.

When most of the blood was cleared away, Sam grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and a clean towel.

She opened the bottle and dabbed some on the towel. Then she lightly cleaned up the wound.

Sam saw him clench his teeth in order to stop from whimpering. Maxie squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Sam finished cleaning it out and then wrapped a big bandage around it.

"You're good to go." Sam said, standing up and stretching her arms up over her head. She could have sworn she saw Jason looking at her, but dismissed the hopeful thought.

"Make sure you change the bandages and keep it clean. It will most likely be sore for a couple of days, so rest it as often as you can.

Sam looked at Spinelli and Maxie on the bed. Maxie looked beat like she was struggling to keep her eyes open. Spinelli looked like he was still in pain.

"Spinelli, you want me to get you some pain pills?" Sam asked him.

"No thank you. The Jackal laughs at the pain." Spinelli laughed, accidentally moving his foot. He clutched it in pain.

Sam heard Jason chuckle by the door, but didn't say anything.

"I'm gonna go get those pain pills." Sam said, already on her way out the door.

Spinelli sat there pouting.


	4. Mutual Sorrow

Sam made her way toward the bathroom, she could go through this house blindfolded; it hadn't changed a bit.

Sam shivered as her bare feet padded across the cool tile floor.

She looked at her reflection in the vanity mirror. She looked extremely tired.

She yawned and yanked open the cabinet. She quickly scanned the pills for some that would help Spinelli. She grabbed a couple of bottles and went back to the room.

"Here you go Spinelli." Sam said as she dumped the bottles on the bed beside him.

"Thanks Sam." Maxie answered for him, handing him a glass of water in the bedside table.

Spinelli popped a couple of pills in his mouth and downed them in water. After he swallowed, he leaned back against the pillows and sighed.

"You have my deepest gratitude Fair Samantha." Spinelli said before closing his eyes.

Sam waved at Maxie and exited the room. She closed the door soundlessly behind her.

Sam headed for the stairs.

She stopped and leaned against the wall. She slid down until her butt hit the floor. She buried her face in her hands.

She wondered vaguely where Jason had disappeared too and she wondered what time it was. She was so tired.

Sam sat there for awhile longer, lost in her thoughts.

She eventually got up, stretching out her legs and her arms above her head.

She turned to make her way down the stairs and to look for Jason. But something stopped her.

She slowly turned around and looked down the long hallway. It was dark but she knew what was down there.

_One look won't hurt._ Sam told herself.

Sam made her way down the hall, slowly, as if in a trance.

She reached the end of the hall; Jason's door was on the left. She had to admit she was tempted to go in there. She ignored the absurd urge and turned to the right.

There was another door; white, decorated with flowers and suns. Sam's eyes filled up immediately, but the tears didn't quite flow out. Her breath caught in her throat. But she had to keep going.

Sam shakily reached for the knob. She turned it hesitantly and pushed open the door. It opened roughly, as if it hadn't been used. Which it really hadn't.

She couldn't see anything because it was so dark. She fumbled around for a light switch and was momentarily blinded as bright light flooded the room.

Her eyes adjusted and when she was finally able to see, tears started streaming uncontrollably down her face.

She wanted to run out of the room as fast as she could, but her legs would only go forward.

She moved to the little crib, covered with a delicate, frilly, purple and white comforter. It was adorable. She and Jason had picked it out. She remembered that day perfectly. When they saw the set, they knew that it would be perfect. They were so happy….

She turned and went to the white dresser. She opened the drawers and in each were the smallest baby girl clothes she had ever seen.

Sam picked up a little pink dress. She and Jason were so close to their dream and then it was just taken away from them.

She put the dress back and looked around the room once more; the light purple walls, the soft white rug beneath her feet.

Sam closed her eyes and she imagined holding her baby girl and rocking her; watching her as she slept. She and Jason feeding her in the kitchen downstairs…all the things she would never get to see.

Her eyes popped open. It was too much. It was a mistake coming here. She wasn't strong enough yet.

Sam made it to the middle of the room before her knees buckled from underneath her and she collapsed in a heap on the floor, sobbing loudly.

Sam pulled her legs up to her chest, her cheek pressed against the carpet, trying to calm herself down. But she just couldn't stop crying.

It wasn't fair. Not fair at all.

It wasn't long before she heard hurried footsteps coming her way. She didn't feel like moving though and she still couldn't stop her tears. Her chest was heaving with the affect from the sobs.

The footsteps paused as they reached the door. "Sam!" Jason exclaimed. In a moment, his strong arms were around her.

Sam lifted her head to look into his eyes. He looked back at her; her tear stained cheeks, make-up running down her face, and he saw the pain in her eyes. He would do anything to take the pain from her face.

Sam's head fell back to the ground as she cried harder.

"Sam." Jason said, softly, lifting her from the floor and onto his lap. He gently pressed her head to his chest. He could feel her whole body shaking.

Jason held her tight, murmuring to her softly, and stoking her hair. He couldn't stand seeing her like this.

Jason shed his own tears; for his and Sam's destroyed relationship, for the family they were so close to having, for Jake and Elizabeth, everything.

Jason was glad Sam didn't notice his tears. He couldn't stand being weak. He couldn't afford to be weak, not when so many people needed him to be strong.


	5. The Fall

_**I'm just on a roll lately! Ha-ha. Enjoy the chapter. Please review.**_

__Jason held Sam for what seemed like hours, but he really didn't mind. It gave him time to think.

Sam's sobs had quieted down and her breathing had returned to normal. She was now breathing slowly, sleeping, in his arms. He hadn't moved yet, fearing he might wake her up. He marveled at how well their bodies went together, unlike him and Elizabeth.

_Elizabeth! _Jason thought of her guilt washing over him. He sighed and decided to head downstairs.

He got up gently, trying not to jostle Sam. He looked at her face, it was so peaceful when she was sleeping, no troubles to bother her. As he stood up, Sam moved her arms around his neck. He smiled involuntarily.

He headed for the door once he was on his feet. He looked around the room once more, sorrow filling his eyes and his hear, before shutting off the light and closing the door.

He sighed again, running a hand through his hair as he made his way down the hall.

He paused at Spinelli's door. He opened it a crack and peered in. Spinelli and Maxie were sleeping, as they should be at this hour. They were curled up together.

Jason closed the door after making sure they were okay and walked downstairs.

Jason leaned down and attempted to lay Sam down on the couch without waking her. Sam woke up though, as soon as his arms left her side.

Sam shivered, yawned, and opened her eyes groggily. "Wha-…." Her eyes shot open. She momentarily forgot where she was and she surveyed her surroundings. She saw that she was in Jason's apartment.

The night's events came flooding back to her, and instantly her eyes filled up. She fought back the tears.

Jason watched emotion swirl on Sam's face. "Sam? You okay?" Jason asked, hesitantly.

Sam turned her face toward his. She cleared her throat. "Um...yeah." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's no big deal." Jason paused. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know what I want." Sam replied softly. A question came to her mind. "How come you never took all the stuff out? I'm sure you could have found plenty of other things to use that room for." She looked at him with confused eyes.

Jason sighed; he seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He went to go sit down in one of his chairs. He thought of how to say this. "Well..." He began. "It didn't feel right to tear the room apart. The stuff seemed to just fit in there. After you moved out…I couldn't get rid of it. And sometimes I sat in there and thought about all the things I had lost. And might never get back. I don't really know how to explain it. I guess I left it there for you, too."

Sam stared at him in shock. "Oh." was all she could think of to say.

Jason cleared his throat, embarrassed. He stood up. "I'm going to go get you a glass of water. Your throat is probably killing you." He walked into the kitchen without another word.

Before Sam could protest, she realized he was right. Her throat was killing her. It annoyed her that he knew her better than anyone, probably better than she knew herself. She could hear him banging around the kitchen and almost smiled. Almost.

She sat there in silence, thinking about all that had happened tonight and about what Jason had just said. Sam was pissed that she had broken down like she did. She honestly thought she could handle seeing the room again. She was also still surprised that Jason had left it. She liked that he hadn't changed it though. It was nice to see that he still cared.

When she thought of Jason, it brought back even more memories of what had happened tonight. He had stayed with her the whole night; he had held her the whole time she cried. It was the firs t time in a while that she had actually felt…safe. She liked the feeling.

But she couldn't stand sitting here in this apartment thinking about the what ifs. It was killing her inside.

At that moment, Jason came back from the kitchen, breaking her line of miserable thoughts.

"Here you go." he said, handing her the small glass.

"Thanks." She said, realizing that her voice was raspy. She took a long, grateful sip. When she was done, she looked at the glass before placing it on the table in front of the couch. "I want to go home." She said, surprising Jason.

"Sam, it's pretty late. I think you should just spend the night here." Jason said, speaking to her like he would when consoling a child.

"I can't stay here." She whispered, more to herself than to him.

Jason answered her anyway. "I need to make sure your okay and that you're safe. I'm not sure if you being alone right now is very smart. You don't know what you may do to yourself or anyone else." Jason didn't want to admit it but he was scared for her. She was acting weird, and he wasn't sure if she was depressed or shocked or just needed sleep. Either way he didn't want her to be alone.

"If you don't drive me home, I'll walk." She told him.

_God she is still so stubborn._ Jason thought. It was one of the things that had attracted him to her. "It's too far to walk Sam, and too dangerous. You could get jumped. You Port Charles is a dangerous place at night better than anyone." He tried making her see reasonably.

"I'm not two years old Jason! I can take care of myself!" Sam yelled. She looked just as shocked as Jason felt.

Without another word, Sam jumped from the couch and raced to the door. She stuffed her feet in her shoes and through her jacket on.

Jason saw she was planning to leave and jumped from his spot on the chair. He caught her hand as it was turning the knob. She froze, staring at his muscular hand over her small, dainty one.

Before Jason knew what he was doing, he ran a hand up and down her back, and then ran his hand underneath her shirt. He felt her shiver and tense up, then relax as he caressed her.

He turned her around to face him, holding her hands so they wouldn't go back for the knob. She tried to resist but was to overcome. Jason used his finger to tilt up her face and then leaned down, pressing his lips against hers. He could feel both of their longing and their pain there.

She broke the kiss, breathing hard, and looking completely confused and lost. Jason realized what he had just done, and looked shocked. He took a step back his hands up in surrender as he waited for a reaction from Sam. She just stood there frozen.

"Sam, I'm so sorry." He said to her, knowing it wouldn't help. He had just taken advantage of her weakness. He wasn't sure if she would ever forgive him for this one.

Sam didn't say a word, but glared at him with hatred in her eyes. She spun on her heel and raced out the door without looking back.

Jason tried to stop her but failed. "Sam!" he yelled out the door. "Sam!" he yelled again.

But she was already gone and she didn't come back.

Sam walked swiftly, not sure where her feet were taking her. She just needed to be alone.

She hoped Jason didn't send any of his men to find her. Or worse come for her himself.

She walked quicker.

She was crying when she had exited the apartment, but now all the tears were frozen on her face because of the chill fall wind.

It was rather cold out, far colder than any natural fall day. She wished she had brought a warmer coat.

_Though I didn't know I would be wandering around Port Charles at like one in the morning. _She thought fiercely to herself. She didn't know any of this was going to happen today. She kinda wished it hadn't.

Finally she slowed down and looked around to find herself at the pier.

The pier. Not really a good place to be at this time of night, or was it morning?

Sam didn't care. She walked over to the edge, by the water.

The water was dark and murky, but the sound of the wind moving the water soothed her. She looked far in the distance and she could see Wyndmere out there. It looked alone and mysterious, much like herself.

She sat down by the waters edge and sighed. She wrapped her arms around herself and just thought.

All that had happened was so confusing. She shouldn't have gone anywhere near that room, she knew deep in her heart she wasn't strong enough. And what had just happened with Jason? She couldn't believe he had kissed her.

She picked up a rock and threw it into the water, hard. It was a one time thing; there was no need to get hopeful. She sat there quietly as she watched the rock sink to the bottom, much like her heart.

Then her mind turned from Jason to Lucky. She felt guilty. She had loved Jason's kiss. And that was completely wrong. She should have pushed him away not led him on. She couldn't tell Lucky but if she didn't the guilt would probably eat her alive. Sam genuinely thought she could build a life with Lucky, but now she wasn't so sure.

_All because of one kiss?!_ She thought to herself. Sam wanted to shut her brain down and not think another thought again. It was just too painful.

She whipped another rock into the water, wincing as the cold water hit her face. It raised goose bumps on her arms.

Sam stood up and looked up at the moon. It was a full moon. It was a peaceful sight with the moonlight shining on the black water.

After that everything happened so fast.

The pier must have been slippery because the next thing she knew, she was submerged in the freezing water, whacking her head on the sharp rocks on the way down. She thought she could feel her head bleeding.

Her limbs and muscles were surprised by the cold water and immediately locked up. She tried to flail around, but she didn't move anywhere.

Her lungs burned for air. She really needed a breath. She wasn't sure which way was up or which way was down. She tried not to panic.

She was trying to fight the unconsciousness that was threatening to overcome her. She could feel her strength draining away.

She gave up struggling. _What_ _a way to die. Not by a gunshot wound, but by falling into the damned pier!_

Her last thought was that she wished she had led a better life and that she was going to see her daughter. This thought made he smile. _Hold on baby! Mommy's coming!_

Then the darkness consumed her.


	6. A Lucky Rescue

_**Sorry it took a little bit for the update guys. Hope you like it.**_

__Lucky was hurrying home from a late night at the PCPD. He had considering going over to Sam's and surprising her, but he didn't want to wake her up.

He shivered as the wind whipped through his jacket. He was extremely tired; it had been a long night. He wanted to go to bed. He walked faster.

He decided to take a shortcut over the pier.

He came to the pier and marveled at the sight of the water. _It must be freezing. _He thought to himself. He stepped back from the slippery rocks, so he didn't slip and fall in.

He stayed there until he was frozen from head to toe.

He turned to continue on his way when something caught his eye.

He peered into the water, trying to make out something in the dark. He thought it looked like a piece of skin, a hand maybe. But that was impossible, right?

He cautiously made his way forward.

Then the moonlight caught the object he was looking at. It was a body.

It looked like a younger woman with wavy brown hair.

A thought struck Lucky and he felt his heart stop. Was it ….no it couldn't be…could it?

Lucky lost all rational thought and he threw his jacket to the ground before he dove headfirst into the water.

The cold water was lung crushing for a moment, but he resurfaced and swam toward the body.

He hoisted it up, trying to feel for a pulse while trying to get back on the pier.

As he searched fro a pulse, the woman's head fell back, her face revealed in the moonlight.

Lucky felt his whole body go number then it already was and he couldn't breathe.

It was Sam.

Jason was still at his apartment. He didn't go after Sam, even though he knew he should. He was too embarrassed.

And he was pretty sure that he was the one person Sam didn't want to see right now.

He worried about her though. She shouldn't be alone in the state she was in.

Jason sighed. He had screwed up, yet again. A thought struck him.

Elizabeth was working the night shift at the hospital this week. Before, he had thought she was home with the kids, but he had just remembered.

He really could have just called Elizabeth over here and avoided this whole mess with Sam.

He walked over to his desk and grabbed his cell phone, which was resting by Spinelli's laptop.

He pressed a speed dial and waited for an answer.

"Hello, General Hospital. What's your emergency?" Elizabeth's soft voice washed over his body and for a moment he couldn't speak.

"Hello?" Elizabeth asked again.

"Elizabeth, hey."

"Jason!" she lowered her voice. "What are you doing calling me at work?"

"I need to see you. I'll be there in a few minutes." He hung up before she could protest.

Jason ran upstairs, checking on Spinelli and Maxie one more time before coming back downstairs.

He grabbed his leather jacket and stuffed a gun in his pocket before going out the door.

Lucky had managed to get Sam onto the pier, besides his numb fingers and his paralyzing fear and worry.

He felt around Sam's neck for a pulse. He couldn't feel one.

He wondered how long she had been under. He began doing CPR to get the water out of her lungs and for her to breathe.

Nothing was working. Lucky grabbed his jacket and threw it over Sam in an effort to keep her warm. She most definitely had hypothermia.

He remembered his cell phone and pulled it out of his jacket pocket and called 911. He was glad he didn't jump in the water with his phone; they would be so screwed right now.

He kept doing CPR until 911 picked up.

"911 what's your emergency?"

"Hello! My name is Lucky Spencer." He explained the situation, while trying to help Sam. "She isn't breathing." He finished.

Sam made a gagging noise before coughing up a ton of water. She still looked unconscious.

"Wait! She just coughed up water. She's still unconscious." He felt for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there. "I've got a pulse!" he cried in relief.

"Units are on their way." The voice on the other end answered.

"Thanks." Lucky said before hanging up. He could hear sirens in the distance. He prayed they got here in time.

Lucky pulled Sam to him, trying to keep her warm. It was then he noticed the gash in her head.

His mouth opened in shock. It was then that the ambulance arrived. He filled the paramedics in on his discovery.

The men Sam on a stretcher and loaded her in the back of the ambulance. Lucky hopped in too.

He clutched one of Sam's limp hands desperately. "Sam." He whispered. "You got to live."

A lonely tear escaped his eye.

Jason drove quickly to the hospital, not really sure why he was going there in the first place.

In the back of his mind he hoped Sam made it home okay.

He pulled into the hospital with a tire screeching stop.

He sat there in the dark, trying to collect his thoughts. He wondered if he should tell Elizabeth about his and Sam's encounter.

He hopped out of the car and made his way to the hospital. He burst through the doors, automatically scanning the room for Elizabeth.

He spotted her, speaking to a frail looking older woman. She smiled and the lady walked away.

He watched her from his spot by the front door. He thought about how he didn't deserve her. He didn't deserve her kindness or her sweetness. He didn't deserve her love. He didn't deserve her at all.

He was too much of a mobster bad ass for her. She could get extremely hurt.

Jason watched as her hands worked, moving around files, and scribbling on papers. He remembered her hands softly caressing his naked body…

He broke his thoughts there as thoughts of Sam's lips under his intruded his mind.

As if she sensed him, Elizabeth turned her head to him and smiled.

He smiled back at her, quite guilty, and walked over to her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, nervously looking around, seeing if anyone was watching them.

He wanted to grab her and kiss her supple lips to erase the memory of Sam's. He wanted to wipe the nervousness and worry from her face; he wished they didn't have to be together in secret. He kept his cool though.

"I…I needed to see you." He said, which didn't explain anything. "Listen. I wanted to tell you something that happened tonight…"

Elizabeth looked at him with her eyebrows raised, waiting for him to continue.

He opened his mouth but was interrupted when the emergency doors banged open.

A stretcher with three paramedics burst in. they were immediately surrounded by nurses and a doctor asking questions.

Jason caught a few words, things like "severe head injury," "bleeding out," "hypothermia," and "emergency surgery."

Elizabeth excused herself, rather reluctantly and went to help.

Lucky burst through the doors, trying to get close to the stretcher.

Jason watched the whole scene with a sickly feeling.

"Please sir, you need to step back until we get her into a stable condition."

"But…" Lucky protested.

The stretcher was being wheeled away.

Lucky tried to follow but was stopped. His eyes never left the stretcher. He stood there with a helpless, hopeless look on his face.

Jason was afraid to look down at the stretcher, but his eyes were drawn to it when it passed.

On it was Sam, pale, lifeless, with a million needles stuck into her freckled skin.

The woman who's once full of life eyes had looked into his, whose lips had been under his only hours ago, now looked like a corpse. Right in front of his eyes.

He, like Lucky, wanted to follow the stretcher. He wanted to stroke her damp hair and tell her everything would be okay. Except he knew somehow it wasn't.

A feeling of dread grew, also loaded with guilt.

This was all his fault.

As the realization struck home, Jason rushed out of the hospital, brushing by Lucky.

He needed to clear his head.


	7. Haunting Memories

_**Here's the update folks!**_

__Sam felt…different somehow. She felt free.

She looked around the room she was in; it looked like she was in a hospital. An operating room to be exact. The last time she had been in an operating room, was when she had last gotten shot…which was when again?

But what was she doing in a hospital room now?

The body on the operating table caught her eye. The monitor beside the table had flat-lined and they seemed to be rushing around, trying to resurrect her. The doors on the other side of the room banged open as a nurse came in with a crash cart.

She saw Dr. Patrick Drake and Dr. Matt Hunter as well as some nurses crowded around the body. She was dismayed to see that Elizabeth was in the room. She felt a pit of hatred in her stomach and her fists clenched involuntarily at her sides.

Patrick and Matt wore equal frowns as they shocked the body and no effect took place.

They charged and shocked the body again. Sam watched, sickened at how the lifeless body jerked around on the table.

She shook her head and looked closer at the body curiously, wondering who it was. It looked oddly familiar…wavy brown hair, defined face. She searched her mind to see who it was.

Then it hit her. It was her, Sam McCall! Her body was lying on a hospital operating table, as the monitor flat-lined, while she was floating, perfectly fine, above her body. She was like a spirit, or a ghost. Not to mention she was watching herself die. It was kind of unsettling. She noticed a large, bloody gash in her head and shivered.

She turned away, not wanting to witness anymore. Already she felt as if she were going to be sick.

She tried to get her thoughts together. Was she dreaming? That seemed the most reasonable explanation. If so, it was a pretty realistic dream. She pinched herself in the arm. It didn't do any good, except to make her more irritable. She rubbed the skin that was growing red. Could ghost's skin get red?

So it wasn't a dream, apparently. How did she end up like this? What exactly happened? For some reason she just couldn't remember.

One thing was for sure, she couldn't stay in this room while her body lay limp on the limp table in front of her. She needed some answers.

She floated (literally she was like flying!) toward the door. She knew without testing that no one could see or hear her, so she didn't bother being quiet or hiding.

She wasn't sure where she was going, but she needed to find the answers somewhere, and that somewhere wasn't trapped inside this room.

When she reached the door, she reached a hand out to grasp the handle and push it open. Instead, it passed right threw the door.

Sam jumped back as if her hand was on fire. _Okay that was creepy._

She looked down at her hand; it didn't look any different. They sure as hell didn't look invisible or transparent.

Sam sighed. This was great. She was a ghost thing and she couldn't open a freaking door! She almost gave up hope before an idea popped into her head.

"If my hand can go threw, then my body must be able to." Sam thought out loud to herself, even though no one could hear her.

Sam started with her hand again; her breath catching as it passed threw the door with ease, as it did before. She might not ever get used to that. She took a deep breath and then pushed the rest of her arm threw. It was like going threw water.

She took one more deep breath and then plunged threw the door. She tumbled head over heels into the bright lights of the hospital's hallway.

She blinked a couple of times. She looked around. Yes, she was definitely in General Hospital.

She heard the doors open behind loudly behind her and she wheeled around in surprise, thinking someone may have managed to hear her.

Elizabeth came out, looking frazzled. The hatred still gnawed at Sam's insides, but she pushed it down. Elizabeth may lead her to the answers she needed. Besides, it wasn't like she could do anything in her present state.

Elizabeth walked right threw Sam, giving Sam a feeling of discomfort. Elizabeth paused and shivered, as if feeling Sam's presence. She ignored it however, and kept walking.

Sam followed her close, but not too close, that way she didn't have to pass threw her again.

Elizabeth navigated her way through the twisted hallways of GH. Sam tried to remember the way back to the hospital room (and her body) but became extremely confused and gave up after a short time.

Elizabeth finally made it to the main lobby. Finally, a place Sam was familiar with!

Sam continued to follow Elizabeth. She went over to the waiting area. Sam froze in shock as she saw all the people who were waiting there. Lucky, Molly, Krissy, Alexis, and even Maxie. All of them were waiting for some good news regarding her condition.

The one person who wasn't there, Sam realized with a sinking feeling, was Jason. She quickly brushed the feeling away and listened intently on what Elizabeth was saying.

"Everything was going fine; Patrick was doing the procedure by the book. Sam flat-lined, just a minute ago, so I rushed out here to tell you. They haven't yet gotten a heartbeat." Elizabeth paused, waiting for reactions.

Sam noticed Lucky burying his tired face into his hands. Krissy held Molly, as they both burst into tears. Alexis tried to keep it together, but couldn't help but make a little whimper. Maxie just stared, her mouth open, frozen in shock.

"We aren't really sure exactly what caused the complications. She began to bleed out from her head wound before Patrick could finish closing her up. Her case of hypothermia was severe, so it could have very easily contributed to the complications." Elizabeth sighed. "I'm really sorry." She said quietly, before swiftly walked away.

Sam didn't stay to listen to the sure to be horrified reactions. She wanted to get back to her body; she wanted to shake herself awake. She realized she wasn't ready to die, at least not yet.

She flew as fast as she could, mentally cursing herself for not remembering the way back to the operating room.

_Sam……_

Sam stopped suddenly. She kept quiet, listening.

_Sam……_

Yes! There it was. The sounds of the hospital seemed to fade away.

_Sam……_

It was a man's voice. One she hadn't heard in a while, but one she would never forget.

She followed her name down many hallways, again not paying attention to where she was going.

When she did look around, she didn't think she was in the hospital anymore. She was surrounded by darkness.

Her eyebrows knit together in confusion. She spun in circles, trying to find a way out.

It was then that a bright light caught her eye. It was directly in front of her. It seemed to be growing bigger and brighter. She headed toward it.

She stopped, only inches from it. She had to squint in order to see. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but she didn't see any other option.

_Sam……_

The voice came from through the tunnel of light.

She held her breath, closed her eyes, and floated through.

When Sam next opened her eyes, it appeared as if she were in a meadow. It was bright green, with the sky a perfect blue above her. The clouds were white, pure and puffy. The meadow seemed to last forever, a never ending sea of rolling green hills. She looked around in wondrous amazement.

The thing was, she had never been there before. Yet she didn't feel any worry or anxiety. Instead, she felt as if she belonged there.

She looked around, not sure what she was doing here. She noticed she wasn't floating anymore. She also noticed she was wearing a long white dress instead of the hospital garb she was in before. She was barefoot and the grass was soft beneath her feet.

The hills beckoned to her. They made her want to run, far away, and never look back. Just to leave her horrible life, even for a little bit…

Yet, she didn't run. Something held her back. Instead she marveled at the simplicity of it all.

Then something caught her eye. Rather some_one._

It was a man, taller then her, as most people were. He had shaved brown hair and he was dressed in baggy jeans and the old sweatshirt he always used to wear. He was also barefoot. His back was to her, yet she knew exactly who he was.

Happiness bubbled up inside her. Suddenly, he turned around, a crooked grin on his face.

"Danny!" Sam yelled, running toward her older brother. She thrust herself into his open arms. She began to bawl. "I…I…I...Th...Th…"

"Sam." Danny chuckled. "I can't understand you when you're crying like that."

She stopped trying to talk and took deep, calming breaths. She wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now."

"Now that's better." he said. Danny pried Sam's grip from around him and held her back to look at her. "Look at you. You haven't changed a bit. Though your face has taken a more serious tone. Are those frown lines?" he teased.

"Oh Danny! You don't know how much I've missed you."

"And I've missed you little Sammy." Danny said, pulling Sam into a hug.

Sam smiled into his chest at his old nickname for her.

"Danny, I've got to talk to you about what happened." Sam said, sighing, and breaking the hug.

Danny opened his mouth to say something, but Sam interrupted. "Please Danny, just let me do this."

Danny nodded and Sam began. "You had been gone a long time. I had no idea where you were and when or if you were planning on coming back. Then the disease began spreading. Jason was just trying to protect me when we moved to Hawaii. I must admit, I went grudgingly, because I still believed you would come back to me eventually. But I did agree to go with him. We came back as soon as the disease cleared. When I heard that you had come back to town, and got infected…" Sam chocked back tears.

She cleared her throat and continued. "And they didn't have enough antidotes, and you passed away. I felt like my world had ended. I felt like the worst little sister. I never even got the chance to tell you I loved you so much or to say goodbye. So Danny, I'm really sorry."

"Sam, sweetie, its okay. There was no way you could have known all of that would happen." He reached out a hand and brushed away the tears on her cheeks.

"I know…but still. Anyway, you're here now, and that's what matters." Sam paused. "So does this mean you're alive?"

Danny shook his head, solemnly.

"Does this mean I'm dead?" Sam asked, trying to mask the note of fear in her voice.

Danny didn't answer right away.

"Danny?"

"Your not dead yet Sammy. It's complicated. You are on the border. Heaven is at the end of the meadow, and if you turn around and look, you will see yourself in the hospital."

Sam gulped and turned around. She indeed saw herself, it looked like a movie, and it was pretty far away.

"What does this mean?" Sam asked, fighting back hysteria.

"Only God can decide your fate now. All we can do is wait." He paused. "There is someone I want you to see." He turned around and beckoned to someone in the distance.

Sam couldn't see anything but then she saw a little girl, skipping, her hair flowing out behind her. She came to a stop right in front of her and Danny.

"Sam, I'd like you to meet Lila."

Sam stared in shock at the little girl in front of her. She had Sam's hair, though it was a lot straighter. She had Jason's eyes, she noted. And she had the cutest dimples around a full mouth. She was beautiful, just as she had known she would.

"Oh Lila." Sam managed to say, and Lila leaped into her mothers arms.

"Hi Mama. I missed you." Lila said, mumbling into the side of Sam's neck.

"Oh, I missed you too baby." Sam sniffled. "I never even dreamt of seeing you. And here you are, as beautiful as I could have imagined. And look how big you've grown!"

Lila pulled back and smiled. "Yup!" she said, proudly. "I'm five years old."

Sam noticed that she had a slight lisp. It made her love her even more.

"I thought you couldn't age after you went to Heaven." Sam asked, puzzled.

Danny answered from Sam's other side. "We can choose when we want to stop aging. Since Lila was only a baby when she arrived, she couldn't decide. And she still hasn't decided to stop aging yet." That was all he said before going back to concentrating on some unseen object.

Lila and Sam talked for what seemed like forever. Sam sat crossed legged and pulled Lila onto her lap. She played with her hair as they told each other stories of each others lives.

"Sam." Danny spoke.

She looked over at him. "Hmm..?"

"It's time to go."

She jumped up in shock, accidentally dumping Lila on the ground. "I don't want to leave yet. Unless I'm going with you guys…Am I going with you guys?" she asked, hesitantly, afraid of the answer.

"No Mommy." Lila replied from the ground.

Sam looked down at her.

"It's not your time yet. You need to go back to Earth. There are still people who need you, more than we do."

Sam clenched her fists and her eyes misted over. "But…"

"You can't argue with the Big Guy." Danny smiled. "Now come here and give your brother a hug, one last time."

Sam rushed into his arms. He kissed her forehead. "Bye Sammy." Sam was reluctant to leave the security of his arms. She had never felt so safe…except in Jason's arms, but that time was over and done with. "I will always miss you. And I love you Sam."

Sam nodded. "I love you too." She turned away from him quickly, not wanting him to see her tears.

She leaned over and knelt in front of her daughter. "Bye Lila. I love you so much baby girl." Sam pulled her into a tight hug, and kissed both her soft cheeks.

"I love you too Mama. Tell Daddy I love him too."

"I will." Sam got up. She looked at the family she wouldn't see again for a while.

She turned her back on them. It was probably the hardest thing she would ever have to do. She headed to the picture of the ER room.

When she reached it, she looked back and managed a small wave.

Then she turned and walked into the picture.

She felt a rushing, cool sensation as she was sucked back to her body. Instantly, she became claustrophobic.

"We got a heartbeat!" someone exclaimed in relief.

That was the last thing she heard before falling into a deep sleep.


	8. Answers

_**Sorry it took so long for the update. I've been really busy. I'll keep trying to update as quick as I can. Until then, please bear with me. Thanks for all the comments. :)**_

Jason paced around outside, trying to process all that he had just seen. The cool air helped clear his head and he was able to think.

But every time he thought of Sam, the image of her, so frail and lifeless popped into his mind.

He wanted badly to go in and ask for some details on her case, but he had seen Alexis, Molly, and Kristina hurry in frantically earlier and he knew he wouldn't be welcome.

So he was forced to stand in the bitter cold, pacing endlessly and thinking of worst case scenarios as his guilt grew.

People outside the hospital eyed him warily as they entered. Normally, he wouldn't mind the stares, but right now he really needed to be alone.

An idea popped into his head. He knew exactly where to go.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to the hospital, praying he wasn't noticed.

He kept his head down and his hands stuffed in his pockets as he made his way to the door marked "Employee Stairs." He couldn't help but looking up as he noticed Sam's friends and family sitting in the waiting room. They sat tense on the edges of their seats. Molly and Kristina had tears streaming down their faces. He picked up his pace.

Reaching the door, he did a 360, making sure no one was watching. Fortunately they weren't. He slipped through the door completely unseen.

He breathed a sigh of relief. He vaguely noticed he hadn't seen Elizabeth as he was walking through the hospital.

He continued on his way. He grabbed a railing and made his way up the many flights of stairs. Sure, he could have just taken the elevator, but the thought of being crammed in with a bunch of strangers made his hands twitch just thinking about it. Plus the long hike upward gave him more time to be alone.

Finally, after an endless climb, he reached his destination. A door marked "Roof."

He reached for the handle and thankfully it wasn't locked. It opened with a little creak.

The roof itself was grey and boring, which he didn't mind so much, but Maxie would flip out over. But the view it had was outstanding. As Jason made his way to the edge, he noticed the sun was beginning to rise. It was a wondrous sight.

He was reminded of the time he worked as a janitor for the night shift for his probation. He used to come up here all the time. He had to admit, he kind of missed coming up here.

He reached the edge and stared out at the city of Port Charles, New York. Such a bustling city, it was hard to believe it could be so peaceful and quiet sometimes.

Jason's thoughts drifted back to Sam. Did she make it out of surgery? Was she alright? What had happened in the first place? He wondered if his questions would ever be answered.

It was much colder up here on the roof. The breeze had also picked up.

Without really thinking, Jason hoisted himself up onto the ledge. He stood with his arms spread out, letting the crisp wind whip his hair and clothes. He closed his eyes. He wasn't afraid of falling.

He remembered when Sam was hanging off the ledge, trying to get the poison sphere from Trevor. She almost plummeted to her death, but he was there, ready to catch her. Then he remembered coming up here countless times with Elizabeth, kissing her soft lips, sometimes just holding her after a hard day at the hospital. Two very different memories; two very different girls.

His eyes shot open when he heard a gasp behind him. He spun around, nearly losing his balance. He swore as he righted himself.

He looked up to see who had found him up here. He looked right into the concerned face of Elizabeth.

He guiltily looked away from her, recalling his actions with Sam. He avoided her eyes as he climbed off the ledge.

"How did you know I was up here?" Jason asked Elizabeth.

"I noticed you going through the Employee door and I knew where you'd be going. I finished up with a patient and came here." She cleared her throat. "Are you alright?"

Jason sighed, finally looking up at Elizabeth. Lines of worry creased her face. "I don't know." He answered simply. He turned away from her and gazed out over the city.

She didn't say another word, but instead approached Jason slowly. She put her hand over his. They stood side by side, not talking.

"I know your probably worried about Sam. A lot of people are." Elizabeth broke the silence. Jason thought he could detect a note of jealousy in her voice but he ignored it. Elizabeth continued, "I have some news if you want to hear it."

Jason nodded, hoping he didn't seem too eager.

Elizabeth swallowed. "Patrick was brilliant and nothing appeared to be going wrong. But all of a sudden, she flat lined, just as he was about to close her up. They sent me out to tell the others while they called in a crash cart. I haven't been back in so I don't know if… if she was revived." She sighed. "Jason, I'm so sorry."

Jason didn't answer. He couldn't. a sharp pain shot through his chest and he felt lightheaded and dizzy. The world seemed to come crashing down on him and disappear. He thought his knees would buckle if it wasn't for Elizabeth.

"Jason, are you okay?" she asked, looking up at his probably horror stuck face.

Her voice brought him back to Earth. He ignored her question. "I need to go," was all he said before rushing out the door.

He banged down the stairs, not pausing even for a second. He wasn't sure if Elizabeth was following him or not. He hoped she would understand. He would make it up to her later.

All the way down the stairs, he kept picturing his life without Sam. She was his best friend, and he didn't know if he _could _live without her. Even when he was outside picturing his worst case scenarios, death wasn't one of them. Sam was too tough for that. She couldn't just be gone.

He finally reached the Employee door. He hesitated. He was struck by fear of what he would find out. He was also struck by a thought; why did he care so much? Sure she was his best friend, but it wasn't like he was obsessed with her. He pushed the thought away and went out the door.

Still no one noticed him. He looked around, trying to find a nurse that could inform him. All of them were busy though so he gave up. He stood there a few minutes, trying to catch his breath. Running down flights and flights of steps really took a lot out of someone.

Jason caught sight of Alexis talking with Epiphany, over at the nurse's desk. He thought that would be as good a place to start as any, and he headed over.

As he got closer, he realized the pair were not talking, but arguing, quite intensely. He was surprised that he didn't hear them before.

Alexis, usually calm and collected, was yelling. That couldn't have been a good sign. Jason paused, afraid to go closer. Instead, he stood quietly and listened.

"Epiphany, I demand to know what has happened to my daughter!"

"I understand, Ms. Davis that you are concerned, but I am not allowed to give you any information unless the doctor asks me to, and he has not. Dr. Drake should be out soon to talk to you about your daughter." Jason could see Epiphany was struggling to hold her composure.

"My daughter, my baby, is in there!" Alexis yelled, her voice climbing with each syllable, her voice thick with tears. "She is in there and no one can even tell me if she is alive!" She lowered her voice. "What would you do if it was Stan in there?"

Jason tensed as he waited for a reaction from Epiphany. He remembered Stan, fun and good natured. But he had gotten caught up in the business, and it had ended his life. Epiphany didn't take the news well. To this day, Epiphany blamed Jason for Stan's death.

Surprisingly, Epiphany did no more then beckon to Lucky to come and get Alexis to sit back down.

Jason noticed tears in Lucky's eyes, and he knew he had witnessed the argument. He knew this must be hard for Lucky also. Lucky comforted Alexis, bringing her back to sit with Maxie and the girls.

Jason stood frozen for a few more minutes, unsure of his next move. He had an urge to talk to Epiphany and make her tell him Sam's condition, but he somehow knew it was pointless. Still, he was at a loss.

"Sir?" a timid voice spoke u p from behind him.

He whirled around, taken by surprise. He was sure no one even noticed him. The voice belonged to a nurse; an intern by the looks of the pink garments.

"Sir?" she said again when Jason didn't answer.

He shook his head. "Yeah?"

"Do you need anything? Do you need help with something? Because you are kinda just standing in the middle of the hospital."

Jason was about to shake his head no when he had an idea. He seized the opportunity. He cleared his throat. "Um…yes. I need some information on Sam McCall's case."

"Oh are you from the PCPD? I'm not on her case so I don't know much about it. I could go and get the file if you wanted…" the intern turned to make her way to the nurses station.

"No wait!" he caught her arm, and then realized what he had done and quickly let go. He lowered his voice. "I'm actually not from the PCPD. I'm…" His voice trailed off as he caught sight of Patrick coming down a hallway.

Jason couldn't decipher the look on his face, if it was good news or bad. He held his face in a carefully composed face, revealing nothing, the way only doctors can.

He turned quickly back to the intern. "Thanks for all your help. Sorry for interrupting."

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem…" she started, but Jason was already turning away.

The intern, Claire, sighed and went back to the nurse's station. A friend of hers, another intern, came up to her. "Who was that guy?" she sounded awed.

"I don't really know…" she said distantly. There was something about him; she just couldn't place her finger on it…oh well. She got back to work to take her mind off it.

Jason watched as Patrick, joined by Matt, walked over to the waiting room.

Jason casually walked by and leaned up against the wall. He could listen in perfectly.

Lucky saw Patrick and Matt first and leapt to his feet. Alexis followed suit. Molly, Krissy, and Maxie rubbed their eyes sleepily.

Patrick and Matt finally reached the group. They stood without saying anything, glancing uneasily at each other.

"Well what happened? Is Sam okay?" Alexis asked testily.

Matt and Patrick looked at each other once more before Patrick cleared his throat and began speaking.

"Sam is alive." The relief spread around the group. Lucky sighed and sat back in his chair. Alexis' shoulders slumped and she started crying. The girls hugged each other tight.

Their relief however was short lived.

"Unfortunately, there were some…complications." Patrick continued.

Silence filled the group as they looked up at Matt and Patrick expectantly.

Patrick launched into an explanation. "As I'm sure Elizabeth told you, Sam did flat-line, just as we were about to close her up. We were so concerned with the head wound that we didn't properly asses the severity of the hypothermia. It slowed her heart rate down. Then she started bleeding out from her head wound. She flat-lined for quite a while. We had almost given up hope, but then she came back to us. It was a faint heartbeat. It gradually picked up. We wrapped her in countless blankets and finished closing her up. She is now resting in ICU."

"That girl is a fighter." Matt said.

"So what's the problem?" Alexis said skeptically.

Matt cleared his throat. "People flat line all the time, but never for this long. She flat lined so long that it's a miracle that she came back to us at all. There could be many more complications to come-"

"So what are you saying?" Lucky growled, impatient.

Matt took a deep breath.

"Sam might not wake up."


	9. Mother Daughter Talk

Jason's jaw practically fell to the floor. The words echoed through his head. _Sam might not wake up. Sam might not wake up._

It was like Michael all over again. Jason refocused his attention on Patrick and Matt, hopefully to get more hopeful news.

Kristina and Molly were crying again.

"Maxie, would you mind taking the girls to get something to eat?" Alexis asked.

"Sure." Maxie said, mustering some fake cheer, yet Jason could see the pain and tears in her eyes. Sam was her best friend. "Lets go girls." She took Molly's hand and Kristina followed unhappily behind.

Lucky hadn't said a word, but Jason knew he would probably explode any minute. Sure enough…

"She's not going to wake up?!" he yelled so loud that a couple of people looked over in surprise.

Patrick replied in a low voice. "I know your upset Lucky, but please try to calm down. As Matt said, she _might _not wake up. It is unlikely, her situation is seemingly good, but we won't lie, it most certainly is a possibility. She could already be awake in her room, or she could wake up a year from now. We really don't know. My guess is that she will be awake in a couple of days and will be fine. But it's all up to the odds now…"

"Please, I don't want to hear anymore. Just take me to see my daughter."

"Of course Alexis. Matt will you take her to ICU Room 22?"

Matt nodded as Alexis stood. Lucky jumped up too, wanting to follow.

"I'm sorry Lucky, but only one person is allowed in the ICU rooms at a time. And right now we are just letting in family. I suggest you come back in a couple of days to see her." Patrick replied, expecting an explosion out of Lucky.

Lucky sprang out of his chair so fast that he almost tipped it over. It skidded harshly across the floor and landed in front of Jason. Lucky looked like he wanted to hit Patrick, and he probably would have. Instead he thought better of it.

"I'll be back." He said stonily, before storming out of the hospital.

Patrick just sighed as Matt led Alexis away. Patrick looked up and noticed Jason standing there for the first time. Jason was sure that Patrick knew he was listening in, but he didn't seem to mind. He simply nodded at him before returning to his work.

Jason sighed, the news of Sam's condition weighing heavily on him. He picked up the chair in front of him and returned it to its rightful place.

He turned around and bumped right into Elizabeth. He immediately reached out a hand to steady her.

They just stood there, staring at each other without saying a word. Jason knew Elizabeth had been listening in, too.

Elizabeth took a few steps forward and hugged Jason tightly. It felt good to hold her delicate frame in his arms again. She pulled away quickly though, glancing around to make sure no one was watching them.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"I want to go see her."

Elizabeth sighed. "You can't. You just heard, they will only let family in. I don't think it's a good idea anyway."

Jason didn't answer, he knew she was right. All he wanted to do was apologize to Sam for everything. He wanted to make things right with her, and now he had lost his chance.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I guess I'll go then," he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Call me later." Then he stalked away.

She stared after him until he was gone. She was worried about him. Michael had just woken up a few months ago, and now Sam might not wake up. As much as Elizabeth didn't like Sam, she needed her to wake up, for Jason's sake.

She looked up at the clock. Good thing her shift was almost over.

Alexis's cold, clammy hand gripped the door knob of ICU 22. The monitors looked foreboding, bathing the room in an eerie light.

She took a deep breath and walked in.

She shuddered at the sight of Sam. She looked unnatural hooked up to all these tubes and wires.

Her heartbeat was fine. She was wrapped in dozens of blankets in order to regulate her temperature. Her head was bandaged heavily. She looked unnervingly pale in the dim light, but other then that, her daughter looked peaceful lying there.

Alexis pulled a chair from the corner of the room and placed it by Sam's bed. She plopped into it wearily.

She took Sam's cold, unmoving hand in her own shaky one.

She thought she had shed all her tears, but a few escaped now.

"Oh Sam." She said sniffling. "What has happened to you?"

She paused, unsure of what to say.

"I know we have never been close, and I have always hated that, and I wished I could have fixed it. I love you Sam, and I hope you know it. I don't say it to you as often as I should. If---when, you wake up, I will try to fix everything."

"You got to come back Sam. There are so many people who need you. A lot more then I'm sure you noticed. You always say no one cares about you, but Sam they really do. Me, Krissy, Molly, Lucky. Maxie was even here." She paused. "Oh and Jason. He was listening in the whole time, though he thought no one noticed."

She looked down at Sam. "Can you even hear me? I hope you can. This is really hard for me. It's hard for everyone. I can't bear to see you like this. It's so unlike you." She looked down at Sam's form on the bed.

"You look so lost. You need to find your way back to us. I know you're a fighter. You always have been. You just got to fight whatever it is that is keeping you away from us. I know you can do it. I believe in you. I always have."

"I know I haven't really made the best decisions since I had you, but when you wake up that will all change." She sighed. "I really don't know what else to say. I'm not very good at this stuff as I'm sure you know."

"So what do you want to talk about? Hmm…? You know what? I think Jason still has feelings for you. I know he doesn't really let his feelings show, but I am almost positive he does. But I know you care about Lucky, so I know you won't go back with him. But if you do Sam you got to be careful. He hurt you so much last time."

Alexis talked and talked for hours. She had never been able to really connect with her daughter, but seeing her laying there on the hospital bed was enough to shock her into her senses. Alexis now knew she needed to try harder.

"Well Sam you really have to wake up. I'm going to have to go get the girls now and bring them home. I will come visit you every second I can. I think they are only letting family in, but I can see what I can do. This was a nice talk we had, I hope you heard it."

Alexis stood up awkwardly, stretching out her limbs. She wasn't sure how long she was sitting in the same position. Hours she guessed. She let go of Sam's hand and realized hers was all sweaty.

She leaned down and kissed Sam's white, smooth forehead. "Bye baby girl. I hope to see your bright and shining face next time I see you."

Alexis headed toward the door. When she reached it, she turned around, glancing at Sam one last time. She looked so peaceful. Alexis had no more tears to shed. She walked away, confident that Sam would be all right.

The bright lights of the hallway hurt her eyes after being in the dim lit room for so long. She glanced at her watch; she really had been in there for hours. She was surprised no one had come and gotten her.

Alexis wasn't sure where to start looking for Maxie and the girls, so she decided just to wait for them in the waiting room.

Alexis approached the main lobby of the hospital. Her eyes had adjusted to the bright lighting. She looked around and spotted Patrick. She headed over to him.

"Patrick." She called his name when she got closer.

He looked up from the chart he was reading, surprised. "Oh Alexis, I thought you would have been home by now."

"No actually, I just came out of Sam's room. I hadn't realized I was taking so long. I was going to let the girls see Sam, but I think I will bring them back tomorrow, when they get a good nights rest. Well a good day's rest, seeing as it's 6 in the morning." Alexis realized she was rambling.

"Anyway, the real reason I wanted to see you was to thank you. And Matt too. Thank you for doing such a good job operating on Sam. Thank you for making sure she lived."

Patrick didn't bother pointing out that Sam still hadn't woken up, and that they were still in the early days of recovery. "It was what any doctor would have done." He replied shortly.

"Any doctor would have given up on her, but you didn't. So thank you." Alexis leaned forward and hugged Patrick.

Patrick was stunned. He merely nodded when Alexis let go.

Alexis was about to walk away, but she stopped short and turned back to Patrick. "Oh by the way, I have a good felling that Sam is going to pull out of this."

"Oh, me too Alexis. Me too…"

Alexis nodded, smiling, and went to go look for her kids.

Patrick was so caught by surprise. He stood there for a few minutes, staring after Alexis. He shook his head, coming to his senses. Alexis hasn't had any sleep and just got over almost losing her daughter, so of course she would be happy. But Patrick had a feeling she was in a sense of denial.

He shook his head again and decided to forget about it until the time was necessary. Besides he couldn't wait to tell this story to Robin.

Alexis headed to the waiting room, happy to see that Maxie, Molly and Kristina were already sitting there. They looked awful; half asleep, and lines of worry creased their frowning faces. They were more surprised then Patrick when Alexis bounded over to them with a smile on her face.

"Mom?" Kristina said as she approached.

"Hey darlings. Thank you Maxie for taking care of them for me."

Maxie only nodded, confused by Alexis' behavior.

Alexis gathered her two daughters into a hug.

"Can we go see Sam now Mom?" Molly asked, pulling away form the hug.

"Oh, not today dear, we will wait until tomorrow, but I promise, Sam is doing fine."

"So she's awake?" Kristina asked, hopeful.

"Well not exactly…but she looks good and should be fine any day now. Her body is just healing. She will be fine. I'm sure of it."

"But Mom, Patrick said that Sam might not wake up." Kristina argued.

"Yes he said that she _might _not wake up. There is a good chance she will wake up in the next few days. I believe she will be awake when we see her tomorrow. So don't lose hope." Alexis commanded her elder daughter sharply.

Kristina scoffed, but said nothing. She could tell something was off with her mother, but she didn't push it. Kristina worried if Sam not waking up would push her over the edge. She prayed it wouldn't get that far.

"Alright so let's head home." Alexis said cheerfully. She took Molly by the hand and started to walk out the door.

Kristina hung back, wanting to talk to Maxie without being overheard.

"What's up with her?" Kristina asked, whispering.

"I honestly don't know. I think it's just all the stress is finally catching up with her, plus lack of sleep. I mean she almost lost Sam tonight and that has to be tough on anyone. I'm sure she will be fine tomorrow. Or maybe Sam is really going to be fine…" Maxie trailed off, wistfully.

Kristina just shook her head. She needed her mother to be there for her, especially now.

Kristina had an idea. She knew just the person she needed to see. She hung back a little and pulled out her cell phone, her fingers already hitting the speed dial. She blew on her hands to keep them warm in the bitter air.

"Hello?" the masculine voice of Keifer materialized on the other end of the phone. Kristina was instantly warmed.

"Keifer, I need to see you." She said.

"K are you alright?"

"Please, I'll call you when I can meet, but I have to see you today."

"Okay." He agreed without further question.

"Thanks." She said and flipped the phone close, just as her mother turned around and called out her name.

"Coming!" she called out, and hustled in her UGG boots to meet up with her mother.


	10. More Trouble Ahead

Jason burst through the door of his apartment, slamming it closed behind him, tossing his keys on the desk. They slid until they reached the end of the table, hitting the floor with a muffled thud.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get a grip on his emotions.

He stalked over to his keys and bent down to retrieve them.

He placed them on the desk lightly, emitting a yawn. He hadn't slept in who knows how long.

He vaguely noticed Spinelli's laptop was missing from the desk and wondered what he was doing upstairs.

He wanted to go check on Spinelli, but he was too tired and hyped up on emotions.

He went over to the couch and plopped down. Was it only hours before that Sam had been laying there? Now she might never wake up again.

He buried his face in his hands.

He heard a banging on the stairs. His head shot up. He jumped off the couch and peered up the stairs.

Spinelli was hobbling as best he could on his one good foot with his laptop clutched in his hands.

"Spinelli? What are you doing?" Jason asked, rushing up the stairs to help him down. "Do you want to end up hurting the other foot too?" He helped him reach the couch and they both sat down.

"Hello Stone Cold. I take it you are not in good spirits this late morning, considering your boisterous entrance. May I be so bold as to inquire what the matter is?"

Jason sighed. "I'm sorry Spinelli, did I wake you up?"

"Oh no, no. I was hardly sleeping. Now go on and explain to the Jackal."

Jason wanted someone to talk to, and Spinelli was his best friend. Jason sighed again before saying, "Sam might never wake up."

Spinelli looked at him quizzically.

Jason proceeded to tell Spinelli the whole story, even confessing about his and Sam's steamy kiss.

For once, Spinelli was speechless. He stared open mouthed at Jason as he concluded the story.

Jason put his head in his hands. "They won't even let me see her. They wouldn't let Lucky see her either. Only family." He murmured.

"If Stone Cold doesn't mind me saying, but it appears that you still have feelings for Fair Samantha.

"No, Spinelli. I love Elizabeth." Jason said firmly.

Spinelli held up his hands in a truce-like gesture. "Whatever my master says."

Spinelli looked at Jason. "You know…I could help you see her, you know, if you wanted." Spinelli ventured the idea hesitantly.

Jason looked at him. "Thanks Spinelli, but I think I'll just wait."

"Okay but if Stone Cold happens to change his mind, all he has to do is ask."

Jason nodded his thanks as Spinelli began hobbling up the stairs.

"Be careful!" Jason called up, before hearing a bang.

"I'm okay!" Spinelli called back.

Jason couldn't help but chuckle. He lay back on the couch and fell quickly asleep, dreaming of Sam.

Kristina was sitting at a table outside of Kelly's, waiting for Keifer's arrival.

She hastily sipped at a hot chocolate, not really wanting it. All she could think about right now was Sam…and her mother.

But right now, she wanted to take her mind off of everything. And that is why she wanted to be with Keifer. But where was he?

She stood up and dumped her half drunken cup in the trash. It had certainly warmed her up. But what she and Keifer were planning to do would be soooo much warmer.

She was just about to call him when he appeared.

"K!" he called out.

She whipped around and threw herself into his muscular arms. She buried her head into his neck, enjoying his irresistible smell.

"I was worried you weren't going to show." She said, breaking the hug.

"Of course I would show. I wouldn't have missed it for the world." He stoked her hair. "I missed you so much." He leaned in and pressed his lips softly to hers.

She giggled when the kiss was over. "Come on, let's wait till we get to the Metro Court."

He groaned. "But what if I can't wait that long?" he asked, nibbling on her neck.

She sighed happily, swayed by his touch. She pulled away and intertwined their fingers. "You'll just have to try."

A few minutes later, Kristina and Keifer arrived at the door to the Metro Court.

Kristina was starting to get nervous, but Keifer didn't notice.

They walked, hand in hand, onto the Main lobby.

"You wait here; I'll go get our room key." Keifer said, and went to the front desk.

Kristina plopped onto one of the comfy couches. She hoped Carly or Jax wouldn't come by, she couldn't be caught or she would be grounded for life. She was supposed to have school today, but her mom let her stay home because of Sam's accident. So she thought no one would show up in the middle of the day. She promised herself that she would go to the hospital by herself later.

She yawned; she was pretty tired. Her mind kept drifting back to the recent events, but she stopped them. She didn't want to think about any of that. That was why she was here after all.

She leaned back against the pillows and closed her eyes. She only opened them when she felt a light tap on her arm.

She opened her eyes, startled, but it was Keifer, holding the room key and looking triumphant.

Kristina returned the smile and got up off the couch. "Let's go." She was starting to get a serious case of the butterflies in her stomach, but she ignored it. Keifer would be mad if she backed out now, so mad that… well let's just say that she didn't want to have to explain bruises to her mom. She hurriedly pushed those thoughts away as well.

They took the elevator, up to the tenth floor. Kristina's butterfly feeling increased. She grabbed Keifer's hand for support.

Keifer looked over at her. Her face must have been panic-stricken because his voice became concerned.

"K, are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Why?" she paused. "Well, I'm nervous, that's all. It's my first time." She said and blushed.

"Oh, K, there is nothing to worry about. I'll help you through it and you'll love it. I promise." He said, stroking her cheek.

She felt goose bumps rise on her flesh wherever he touched. She took a deep breath. "Yeah, your right."

The elevator door opened and the exited, looking for room 10033.

"I think it's this way." Kristina said quietly, all too aware of the paper thin hotel walls. She tugged on Keifer's hand, pulling him left.

"Alright, let's go then." The whole way to the room he never let go of her hand.

They reached the door. Keifer let go of her hand, only to grab the room key from his back pocket. He slid the key into the slot, and the door beeped as it allowed them entrance. The beep echoed in Kristina's head.

Keifer walked through the door. Kristina wanted to follow him but couldn't seem to make her feet move. She looked around the room, memorizing every detail, wanting to recall this moment forever. She took a deep breath and walked into the room. She turned around and closed the door.

She didn't turn around, but felt Keifer's hands wrap around her waist, then trying to get the zipper of her jacket undone. She still didn't want to turn around, so she unzipped her coat and threw it aside. She assumed Keifer had his off already.

Now that her jacket was off, Keifer's hands explored everywhere. His fingers played with the end of her shirt. She turned around, looking at his face. She could see the want on his face, and she knew she was really going to go through with this.

When she turned around, she stood on her tip toes to press her lips to his. He answered back hungrily, all the while his hands searching.

They continued kissing fiercely. Keifer's hands traveled up her shirt. He reached underneath her bra. Her nipples grew hard. He fingered her chest and she let out a low moan into his mouth.

Feeling daring, Kristina hands went down to Keifer's jeans. She unbuttoned and unzipped them slowly. She felt him grow hard beneath her hands.

He began unbuttoning her jeans, so she backed him towards the bed. He was still kissing and groping her hungrily, as if he couldn't get enough.

She broke the kisses, to strip off her shirt, pants and bra. She stood before Keifer in nothing but her lacy black thong. He drank in the sight of her, panting hard.

She grabbed Keifer's shirt and practically ripped it off him. He kicked off his jeans in a matter of seconds.

Kristina's skin blazed everywhere he touched. She ran her hands up and down his back and she felt him shudder. She grinned.

They lay down on the bed, and slowly their underwear came off.

Her breath came in gasps.

He searched for her beneath the sheets. She felt him, hard, between her legs.

He rolled over so he was on top. Then he thrusting, having found an entrance. He grunted and moaned as he did.

Then he did find entrance. She let out a yelp as he went in. She arched her back, her hips moving in time with him. Her nails dug into Keifer's back with the pleasure of it.

They continued on and on, until Keifer broke contact and rolled onto his back. They were both sweating and panting hard. Kristina didn't say anything. She wanted to lay in the ecstasy of it.

She wondered if she should say anything to Keifer, but she was so tired. She glanced over to him with a goofy smile on her face. He was looking at her as well.

"How was that for a first time?" he asked her.

"It was …" she was speechless. She hoped he understood.

He did. "Get some rest."

She closed her eyes and she fell fast asleep.

Sam tried opening her eyes, but it was like the darkness that was pushing down her wouldn't let her. She felt that her eye lids were as heavy as lead. After a few minutes of struggling, she gave up.

The thought of panicking had yet to cross her mind.

She didn't really know where she was, nor did she care. Her mind was still back with her brother and her daughter. She missed them so much. It wasn't fair. She was so close to spending the rest of her life with them. And now they were…gone. Again.

She tried moving her hand up to her face to rub her eyes, hoping it would help her see. But when she tried moving…nothing. Not even a twitch.

Sam noticed that the darkness behind her eyes wasn't like a normal darkness, it was so much worse. Like it was closing her in, suffocating her.

Her breathing became shallow as she was trying to process what had happened to her. She struggled to remember, but her mind came up blank. This caused her to go into an even bigger frenzy. She faintly registered a small beeping, like an emergency alert.

Not even a minute after hearing the beep, she heard hurried footsteps coming toward her. It sounded like two people.

One of the people approached her. She was scared of what they would do to her. But when she tried to thrust about on the bed in an effort to defend herself, still nothing happened. All that happened was the stupid little beeping noise increased.

"Oh dear, what is going on?" a little voice said, farther away.

"She is probably just trying to find her way back to us. I'll just give her some of this." Another voice replied, and then she felt a prick at the top of her arm. She mentally cringed. She imagined a big, scary looking needle. God she hated needles.

Wait, Sam recognized that voice! It was Epiphany. But that meant….she was in the hospital? Why? She gave up for a second and focused on the two women talking.

"I still can't believe she is in a coma! It's so sad. Patrick did an amazing job with the surgery of course, but I mean, her family must be devastated." The other girl babbled. Kind of reminded Sam of Spinelli.

Thinking about Spinelli brought back some sort of memory of that night…something about a bloody foot? Weird. She tried to capture the memory, but she was beginning to feel drowsy again. Like a fog was descending upon her. She refocused her attention on Epiphany and the other girl, an intern she guessed.

"Claire, please stop going on and on like that." Epiphany snapped. "Sam might be able to hear us, if we stay positive, she might keep fighting.

This sentence penetrated the fog. Sam gasped. The girl they were talking about was her! She was lying hear in a hospital bed in a coma!

She struggled to stay awake to hear more. But the fog grew thicker and thicker, until she was forced into more darkness.


	11. Getting Help

Jason opened his eyes against the harsh sunlight, glaring through the window.

He sat up and stretched, muscles rippling.

He yawned as he pulled his phone out of his back pocket. He rubbed his neck, stiff from sleeping on the couch, as he glanced at the screen.

It read 9:12 A.M. of the next day. Jesus Christ he had slept a long time.

He got off the couch, groggily. Then he remembered the past day's events.

Suddenly he was wide awake.

He grabbed his house phone, checking it for messages, for any news he could get on Sam. Everyone who knew him knew he barely ever answered his house phone, but times were desperate.

Unfortunately, there were no new messages on his house phone. Same for his cell. He groaned, wondering how much he had missed. Maybe nothing, but to be sure…

He picked up his house phone, thinking Alexis would be more inclined to answer. He hated talking to people on the phone, especially to Alexis no less. She never liked Jason, and for good reason he guessed. He was a mobster thug, who basically tore out her daughter's heart… but he couldn't think about all that now. He needed to call. For Sam.

He dialed the number and held his breath, partly praying for an answer, and partly not.

The chirpy little girl voice answering the phone was not what he expected.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Molly? What are you doing answering the phone? Is Alexis at the hospital?" Jason asked, his stomach tying in knots.

"No, my mom is here, well in the literal sense."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well…she isn't acting like herself. At all. She hasn't even gotten out of bed today. I wanted to go to the hospital today, to see Sam. But I don't think she is going to even get up. I want to try to give her some food later. She won't even talk to me. I…I don't know what to do, Jason."

Jason swallowed back a lump that had formed in his throat. Molly shouldn't have been taking all this responsibility. She was only, what, 12? As for Alexis, it seemed as she was in a serious case of depression.

"Molly, where is Kristina? She could help you take care of your mom."

"Oh…Kristina is out with Keifer I think. I'm not sure where. And I'm not sure who else to call." She sighed. "My mom is in depression right?"

Sometimes it struck Jason at how smart Sam's youngest sister was. "It seems like it. But don't worry. I'll send someone over there to help you, or I'll come myself. We should probably call a doctor, too. Well, don't worry about it Molly, I'll be over soon."

"Really? You'd do that? Thanks so much Jason! See you soon." She hung up the phone.

Jason sighed and hung up the phone. He placed it back on its holder and sighed. Now he had to go over there and get someone to take care of Alexis. Poor Molly, she was on her own. It must have been scary seeing her mom like that.

Jason wondered who to call. Sonny would most likely be too busy, and Carly and Alexis fought like cats and dogs, plus Carly had Josslyn. He thought about it while he went to the kitchen to grab some soda.

He took a deep gulp and soon came up with the perfect person.

He pulled out his cell phone, pressing a speed dial.

"Hello?"

"Diane? I need you to meet me over at Alexis' house. No questions." Then he hung up.

**********

Kristina shivered as she woke up. Her bare back was exposed and she felt freezing. She guessed she had slept for hours, but she still felt really tired. As she yawned, she turned, expecting to see Keifer there beside her.

She saw, dismayed, that he wasn't there.

She sat up, clutching the covers to her naked chest. She looked over his side of the bed; it barely looked slept in. She looked over, expecting some kind of note somewhere. Finding none, she sat back in the bed, tears streaming down her face.

She thought that they had had such a wonderful afternoon together. But finding him gone made her think otherwise. She didn't know how long she sat there, just crying, but eventually the sobs turned to sniffles, and she regained her composure.

She climbed out of bed wearily. She felt gross; she wanted a nice warm shower. She wanted to go home to take one, but she wasn't sure how her mom would react to her not being home. Her mom was acting weird though.

She decided just to take a shower anyway. She took her clothes, scattered around the floor, into the bathroom with her. She wished she had a change of clothes, too. But she would have to make do.

She turned on the water, waiting till it was steaming and fogging up the mirrors. Then she climbed in.

The shower felt so nice, she didn't want to get out. Instead, she turned her thoughts to Keifer, searching for some kind of explanation as to why he left her. Maybe he had some family emergency and he had to leave. But she thought he would at least leave a note. Maybe he couldn't find paper.

Then a thought hit her. He probably left a message of some sort on her phone. She never even checked.

She shut the water off; it was starting to get cold anyway, and grabbed one of the fluffy white towels. She toweled off quickly and wrapped it around her. She grabbed a second one to wrap around her dripping hair.

She headed to the nightstand where she left her phone, the special phone that Keifer had gotten her so they could talk privately. It was pink with jewels on it. Kind of girly for her taste, but she wasn't about to tell Keifer that when he gave it to her. Besides, it was the thought that counts right?

She grabbed the phone, immediately flipping it open. She first checked her inbox for any text messages, but found none. Then she called her voicemail, wanting nothing but to hear a good explanation in Keifer's voice.

Instead, all she got was the robotic voice telling her she had no new messages.

She sighed, her hope draining. She was worried too. She had no clue where he was. She hoped he wasn't hurt.

She felt empty, alone. All she wanted to do was go home. No, she knew what she wanted.

Kristina went back into the bathroom, and pulled on her clothes. She looked under the sink and fortunately found what she was looking for. A hair dryer. She pulled the towel of her hair and switched the dryer on.

She blew out her wavy hair, enjoying the soft feeling of it. It looked gorgeous when she was done.

She put the hair dryer away and looked at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was all smudged and she had none to put on. All of a sudden, her makeup made her feel fake. She took a tissue and proceeded to take it all off.

When she was satisfied, she walked out of the bathroom.

A wave of nausea hit her, but she ignored it. She grabbed her coat and slipped it on. She took the room key of the nightstand and headed to the door.

She smiled as she closed the door behind her, shedding the memories she had there, already wanting to forget.

She knew exactly where she was heading.

************

Diane had jumped into her car as soon as she had gotten Jason's call. She didn't know what to make of the call.

She was sick of being called on by Jason and Sonny all the time at a moment's notice. But this was different.

Jason had asked her to meet him at Alexis' house. Diane knew that Jason and Alexis did not get along well at all, so this meant something bad had happened.

She maneuvered the streets, taking turns too quickly sometimes. She was really worried something bad had happened to Alexis or one of the kids.

She was a couple of blocks away when the snow started falling. She immediately slowed her car down, no need to get into an accident.

The snow was just light at first, but then really began to fall.

By the time she pulled into Alexis' driveway, some of it already stuck.

_Great, _she thought, _Now I am going to ruin my new heels!_

She got out of the car anyway, determined to find out what was going on. She noticed that Jason's black truck was parked next to hers. A chilly wind hit her in the face, bringing snow with it.

She sputtered, spitting snow out of her mouth before hurrying inside.

As soon as she stepped inside, she felt the warmth coat her body, melting the snow that was on her black fur coat.

She took off the coat and her heels and threw them on a chair.

All seemed well in the house. She looked at the couch and that's where she saw Jason and Molly. No Alexis.

"Hi Diane." Molly said in her chirpy little girl's voice. Jason merely nodded in her direction.

"Hello." She replied and went to join them on the couch.

They were silent.

"So is anyone going to tell me why I was dragged here in the snow?" she snapped. She looked pointedly at Jason.

"It's my mom." Molly said slowly, and that's when Diane heard the strain in the twelve year olds voice.

Diane's feeling of worry increased. "What happened? Is she okay?" she looked from Molly to Jason.

Jason told Diane what he thought, explaining that he hadn't gone in to look at Alexis, fearing he might make the situation worse.

"So you're telling me…that you think Alexis has…depression?"

"That's exactly what I think." Jason said. "But like I said, I don't know. I haven't seen her."

"Well I have." Molly piped up. "And she isn't acting like herself at all. She hasn't eaten anything either. She hasn't even been out of bed. When I go in there it's like I don't even exist. Something's wrong Diane." Molly looked up at Diane, tears shining in her eyes.

Diane took a breath, swallowing a lump in her throat. She leaned over and gave Molly a hug. "Don't worry, I'll help in any way I can."

She turned to Jason. "Have you called a doctor yet?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I wasn't sure if she needed one. I called you over here to see if you can talk to her and get her to snap out of it. If not we can either drive her to the hospital or call in a doctor. I called you over here to take care of her so Molly doesn't have to. You were the best person I could think of so just tell me now if you don't want to."

"Don't be stupid. Alexis is my best friend of course I'll help her. And how could I resist little Molly here." She smiled.

"Thanks Diane." Jason said, and Diane knew he meant it.

They all stood up off the couches.

Jason cleared his throat. "I uh, I have to get going. Call me if you need anything or if she gets worse."

Diane nodded, and then turned to Molly. "Come on; let's go take a look at your mother."

Jason watched until they disappeared into the bedroom. Then he grabbed his coat and walked out the door and into the snow.

**********

Blow drying her hair was a wasted effort, Kristina realized, because by the time she reached the hospital, the snow soaked her from head to toe.

She couldn't wait till she could drive.

She headed for the front desk, not knowing what room number she was looking for. She hoped she would run into Elizabeth instead of Epiphany.

When she got to the front desk she found neither Elizabeth nor Epiphany, but instead a nice looking girl whose name tag said her name was Claire.

"Hey." Kristina greeted her with a smile. She looked to be in about her early 20's.

"Hello." She said politely. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes, actually. I am looking for my sister, Sam McCall? I am not sure what room she is in so I was hoping you would be able to tell me."

"Oh sure thing." She said, and immediately began sifting through files and loose papers. She looked back up at Kristina. "Sister's did you say? You two look somewhat alike."

"Yeah I get that a lot." Kristina said and chuckled. "Do you know if there is any change in Sam's condition?"

"If by that did she wake up? No, sorry. I am actually helping Epiphany by taking care of Sam, since I am an intern. You sister is doing quite well. She could wake up at any time."

Kristina, heart heavy, nodded. "I suppose."

"Ah! Here it is." Claire called out triumphantly. "Your sister is in ICU Room 22." She laughed lightly. "You would think I would remember the room number since I go in there every day. Oh well, have a nice visit."

Kristina waved and made her way to Sam's room. She didn't feel quite as happy anymore and approached the room with a growing feeling of dread. Plus this nausea wouldn't go away.

She reached the room with no problem, barely running into anyone. The room looked dark from the bright hallway. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

She made out Sam amongst all the beeping monitors. It didn't look like her sister there in that bed. Sure she _looked _the same. But she wasn't full of her normal energy.

She saw there was a chair already propped by Sam's bed. She went over to it and sat down. She didn't notice, but she was shivering.

At first she sat there in silence, just looking at what appeared to be the empty shell of her sister. She looked so pale and frail, Kristina didn't like it one bit. She wondered if Sam could feel her presence there, or maybe even hear her when she talked. She decided to try. But she didn't know what to say.

In fact, Sam was just penetrating the thick fog that had caused her to sleep for so long. Now she didn't know what day it was, and she was extremely confused. And frustrated. When she woke up, she found she was still cloaked in this blackness. She sighed, and then tensed up, becoming aware of someone beside her.

She had no clue who it was, because they weren't speaking. They weren't touching her either, so she decided they weren't much of a threat. She calmed herself and listened intently.

She heard the person sigh; it was a girl. Not a very old girl it seemed. She wondered if it was the intern, what was her name? Carly? Clara? Claire! That's what it was.

Then the girl started talking. "Sam? Can you hear me?"

She recognized this voice, too. It was Kristina.

_Yes Kristina, I can hear you._

"Of course you can't! What am I thinking?" she sighed again.

_Oh come on, have a little faith in your big sis._

Sam noticed that Kristina began to sob. "I made a big mistake Sam." She said between her sobs.

_You can tell me anything, you know that. But please say it isn't THAT bad. I can't do much in this stupid coma._

Kristina didn't speak again until she had quieted down a bit.

She took a deep breath. "I slept with Keifer. Yesterday."

_YOU WHAT?!_

"And then…then…" she had to stop because she was crying again.

Sam kept silent.

Kristina sniffled. "And then when I woke up, he was gone. No note, no messages, nothing. At first I thought, maybe he had a family emergency or he was hurt, but I think he just left me. And it hurts so bad. I don't even know what I did wrong."

Sam imagined Kristina hanging her head, her bangs falling in her face.

_Oh sweetie, it wasn't you who did anything wrong. The guy sounds like such a scumbag. I always knew there was something off about him. And that's the worst thing a guy can do; sleep with you and then leave you. I wouldn't give him a second thought. _

"The thing is Sam, I love him. Or at least I think I do. We have been together a long time. And I know people think that I only like being with him because he is a senior, but it's more than that. I don't know how to explain it really."

_It may feel like love, but it's not really. I know what you mean._

"My friends said that he was only using me for sex, but I didn't think that was true. I mean he always got mad when I said I wasn't ready, but I just thought it was because he loved me so much too. Now…I'm not so sure."

_He probably was using you for that. I know it sounds horrible, but you have to be careful Krissy. It does happen. And that's what it sounds like he did to you. Used you and threw you away. I wish listened to all of us when we told you to stay away from him. _

"Another thing that I ignored was, well…sometimes he got really angry with me. Like really really angry. But most of the time for no reason. I mean like I said before, he got mad when I didn't want to have sex, but other times it was for no reason. But when he did get mad, he …well he…" she took a deep breath. "He hit me and beat me."

_EXCUSE ME?!?!_

"It started with just slaps across the face, but then he actually started hitting me, and leaving bruises. I always made excuses for why he did it, too. Like I was in denial. Which I guess I was, well am. I still refuse to think he is bad. Anyway, I covered the bruises and marks with cover up and no one ever saw them. I didn't think it was a big deal."

_Not a big deal? He was leaving marks on you Kristina! There is absolutely NO excuse for that! He could have raped you!_

"The one thing he never tried to do was to force me to have sex. Sure he got mad, but he never like raped me, you know? I still don't understand. I don't think I want to."

_Good. You just forget about Creeper, I mean Keifer. Seriously, if I wasn't stuck here in this stupid coma I would go after him and make sure he realizes he can't mess with girls like that. I'm sure Jason would help me, too._

Thinking of Jason brought a pang of longing to Sam's heart. She refocused on the matter at hand.

_Seriously, I thought you were smarter than that Kristina. He could have RAPED you. Do you understand the severity in that situation? Would you have even have told anyone about it? I know the only reason you're telling me is because you think I can't hear. But believe me, when I get out of this thing, Keifer better watch out! _

Sam felt her hand move in anticipation, as she tried to make a fist.

She wasn't sure if it actually moved, and she didn't think Kristina was paying attention, or she was sure to have noticed, she decided to try again, as she listened to Kristina.

"Oh my god, Sam! I could be pregnant!" her voice squeaked on the last word.

_I didn't even think of that! You can't be! You have your whole life ahead of you. Having a baby now would ruin everything for you! You had better get a pregnancy test in a few days!_

Sam had paused in her efforts to make her hand move again, and could tell Kristina was crying again. She felt Kristina's tears fall on the open palm of her hand. It gave her a shiver down her spine.

_Aaw don't cry Krissy. We will figure it out. Together._

Sam chose this moment to channel all her energy into making her hand close, into a fist. Then she opened it again, as if sending some kind of secret signal. She prayed Kristina was paying attention.

Sure enough, Sam heard a sharp intake of breath. "Sam did you just…?"

Sam tried to do it again, but found all her strength draining away. Apparently doing just that little motion required a lot of energy.

"No of course not, I'm either seeing things, or it's just a reaction that they told Mom about." She sighed. "I wish you were here. I really need you. We all do. Especially Mom. She has been acting really weird. I have to go home and see her today. I left Molly and her alone, I'm surprised she hasn't called to see where I am. So I am going to get going. Maybe you'll be awake by the next time I see you."

Sam heard the chair scrape back and she pictured Kristina standing up and stretching.

"Thanks for listening Sam." She sighed. "Guess I'll grab a pregnancy test on the way home. Well…see you."

Sam heard Kristina's retreating footsteps, the door close, and then she was alone.

As soon as Kristina was gone, Sam closed and opened her hand, as a tear rolled down her cheek. 


	12. Finding Out

_**Just so you guys know, I made up the character of Claire. She wasn't in GH at all. I like her though, and she will play a significant role in the future. That's all I'm saying. ;]**_

**********

A week had passed.

Except a week when you're lying in a hospital bed, mostly unmoving seems like an eternity.

Sam didn't have many visitors. She knew that only family was allowed in this room. She suspected that if she didn't wake up soon, they would move her into another room, where anyone could see her.

The time that she spent alone, Sam worked on moving other parts of her body. It took a lot of energy, so she wasn't able to do a lot at a time. But throughout the week, she was able to open and close both of her hands.

She knew she needed to move more of her body to get people to believe she was really coming back. But it would take a lot of work. And it might take a long time.

How long was a long time? How long before everyone gave up on her?

Well she wouldn't think about that now.

She thought it was around noontime, and Claire should be coming along soon to adjust her feeding tube, and to give her the physical therapy.

Sam actually liked when Claire came. She talked a lot, so Sam got used to the sound of her voice. The more Sam listened to her, the more she thought how good Spinelli and her would make a good couple. No offense to Maxie of course.

Plus the physical therapy helped a lot. Sam used some of the techniques Claire demonstrated when she was trying to force her unyielding limbs to move.

Sam was also very worried about Kristina. She hadn't visited back since she told Sam about the sleeping with Keifer thing. She hoped she had gotten a pregnancy test and it had come up negative.

She was disappointed that neither Jason nor Lucky had come in to see her. Well she didn't know if they had tried, but still. She was looking forward to those visits along with Kristina's.

Where was Claire? Maybe she had misjudged the time.

Oh, there were her light footsteps approaching.

Sam's hearing had grown quite acute since being in the coma. It was the only sense she could rely on, since she couldn't see. She started hearing things really far away. This would definitely help her in the P.I. business.

If she woke up.

No, WHEN she woke up.

Claire opened the door, whistling an unfamiliar tune. Sam felt herself relax immediately.

"Hey, Sam. Doing any better?" Claire trilled, in her bell sounding voice.

Sam decided to try and push against this strangling darkness. It was the only thing keeping her from waking up, she was sure of it. But she was afraid that if she tried, her heart monitor would beep frantically and Claire would call in Epiphany, and she would be resting once again.

Sam gave up the idea, and decided to try after Claire was finished.

Claire approached her bed. Sam could picture her beside the monitors, playing with the feeding tube to make it just right.

"Even with this feeding tube, you're getting pretty skinny Sam. Not that you were fat to begin with." Claire chuckled.

_Why thanks Claire. _

"So are you ready for our session today?"

_This is the highlight of my day. Knock yourself out._

Claire started with her arms, massaging them and then moving them every which way. As she worked she talked to Sam, about anything that came to mind.

_I wish I could talk. You could probably help me with my sister. _

"You're lucky you know."

_No offense, but lying here in a coma isn't my picture of "lucky."_

"You have a lot of family and friends that really care about you. I mean if I was lying here in a coma, I'm not sure how many people of my family would come see me. Or even any friends."

_You seem like you have lots of friends. And what's with you and your family?_

"The dark haired cop comes in everyday to see if you have changed any. He always tries to get in, but Epiphany is very stern, as I'm sure you know. Is he your boyfriend? He seems really sweet."

_Yup, that's Lucky for you. He is really sweet. Any other dark and handsome guy ask about me? Very muscularly built? No?_

"Haven't seen your sister since last week I think. I talked to her for a little bit. She seems…distracted. But you two resemble each other greatly."

_I guess we do, don't we._

"Come to think of it, I don't think I have seen your mother since after your surgery. That's a bit odd don't you think? I hope everything's alright with her.

_Yeah…so do I…_

By this time, Claire had moved on to her legs and feet. She was almost finished. Sam usually hated seeing Claire go, but she was feeling much stronger today and wanted to try to move some more, and to push against the darkness. Maybe she would even try to open her eyes. She wanted to see again.

Sam decided to try the hand gesture again. Maybe Claire would take it differently then Kristina had. That was more than just a muscle spasm. Someone had to realize it.

Very slowly, concentrating very hard, Sam closed her hand into a fist, and then slowly opened it again. She repeated it a couple of times, with both hands, not sure if Claire was paying attention.

Sam knew she was successful when she felt Claire's hands pause in her work.

"Did you just move your hands?"

_This is it! Someone finally understands. Now go get Patrick and help me out here!_

In response, Sam opened and closed both of her hands again.

"Does that mean yes? How about this open and close them once for yes and twice for no?"

Sam opened and closed them once.

"This is amazing Sam! This means you can hear! You're coming back! Stay here, I'm going to get Dr. Drake."

_Well of course I'm staying here. I'm still in my coma._ Sam would have laughed if she could have.

Sam heard Claire hurry out of the room.

Finally, all her hard work paid off.

She felt tired, but there was no way she was going back to sleep now.

Her mind surged with a new found hope. She could wake up tomorrow!

She couldn't wait.

**********

Lucky was at the PCPD when he got the call.

"Lucky, there's someone on the line for you." One of his fellow cops called to him.

"I'll take it in my office." Lucky replied, going in and shutting the door.

He picked up the phone.

"Officer Spencer."

"Lucky, it's me."

"Patrick? What's up? Is it Sam? Did something happen?" Lucky's stomach was churning with worry.

"Yes, it's about Sam, but it's a good thing. Please, calm down, and let me explain.

Lucky took a deep breath and fell silent.

"One of Sam's nurses today found Sam responsive. She was opening and closing her hand, more than just a muscle spasm. We investigated it very closely. But Sam is responsive in some ways, and she can most definitely hear us. In more simple terms, it seems as if Sam is coming back to us."

"So she's getting better?" Lucky was still skeptic.

"It seems so. All we can be sure of is that she can hear us, and that she is trying to make her way back to us."

"Well that's great!" Lucky couldn't help a big smile from spreading across his face. "So when can I see her?"

"That's the other good part, we had Sam moved into a more comfortable room. She is breathing on her own fine, so the only thing still attached to her is her feeding tube. She is no longer in ICU, meaning you and anyone else can see her. Come in anytime. The only thing is, we are having people sign in, so we can monitor who goes in and out. It's normal procedure."

"Thanks a lot Patrick. I'll be over there as soon as my shift ends."

"See you then."

Lucky hung up.

He walked out of the room with a big smile on his face…right into the faces of Johnny Zacchara and Dominic Parelli, handcuffed, looking in rough shape.

His eyebrows knit in confusion. "What's going on here?"

"I'll tell you what's going on!" Lucky heard Lulu's peeved voice come from behind the men. She stepped in front of them.

"They got into a fight over me at Jake's. Coleman called the cops for no reason. Now let them go." Lulu crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

Lucky looked at Dominic and Johnny, disbelief on his face.

Dominic shrugged with a smirk on his face; his eye was almost swelled shut. Johnny just looked pissed to be here, yet again.

Lucky sighed. His shift was going to last forever.

**********

"Yes, thank you Dr. Drake." Diane hung up. It had been a week since Diane had started staying at Alexis', to make sure she acted normal and took care of Kristina and Molly. So far, they didn't have to bring her to the hospital for her symptoms, but if they didn't get good news fast, Diane was afraid of what they would have to do.

Thank God Patrick had just called.

Diane turned to Alexis who was moping on the couch, sipping a cup of coffee.

"Guess what?"

"Diane, I'm not into playing games. Who called?"

"Oh fine, don't let me have any fun. It was Dr. Patrick Drake."

Alexis jumped out of her seat, almost spilling scalding coffee all over her.

"What did he say?!"

"Trust me, hun, it was good." Diane relayed the information Patrick had given her, which was basically what he had told Lucky.

At first, Alexis just sat there, shocked, but extremely happy.

Then she leapt into action. "What are we still doing here? We have to get to the hospital right away!"

"That's my girl." Diane said, grabbing their coats.

"Girls? Do you want to go to the hospital? Sam is getting better!" Alexis called up the stairs.

Molly ran down the stairs. "I'm coming!" she almost fell on the last stair.

"Careful, Molly!" Alexis said, as she caught her.

Molly smiled up at her. "Thanks, Mom."

Alexis ruffled her hair as she pulled on her coat.

"Kristina? Are you coming?"

"Actually Mom, I don't feel well. I'll ask Viola to drive me later." Kristina called back, her voice muffled behind the bathroom door.

"Alright, hope you feel better. I'll see you when I get home."

"Okay…"

The door closed and Kristina was alone.

When they got outside, they realized just how much snow had fallen. There had to be 2 feet out there. Molly squealed, jumping in the snow on the way to the car.

Alexis and Diane laughed.

When they reached the car, they got in and immediately turned up the heat.

"Shit." Alexis fumbled through her bag with her numb fingers. Finally she pulled out her cell phone.

Diane looked at her questioningly, eyebrows raised.

"I should call Jason." Alexis said, as if it explained everything.

And it did. Alexis never cared for Jason much, but she owed him now, for getting her help when she needed it.

She dialed his number.

**********

Jason was heading out of his apartment. He was sick of Maxie already, and she had just come over. It seemed as if she was extra annoying today. Probably just seemed that way because of everything that was going on, but still, he couldn't take it anymore.

He grabbed his leather jacket and the keys to his motorcycle and headed out the door. On second thought, he grabbed his gun, securing it by his waist.

He slammed the door behind him.

He took a few deep breaths, leaning on the door. This thing with Sam was really screwing him up. Sometimes, his mind ventured back to their kiss, just a couple of hours before her accident.

He had even been putting off Elizabeth's calls, afraid he would say something that would tick her off. He wasn't sure how he felt and he just needed some time to think. He could always say he was really busy with work, but he didn't want to lie anymore.

Maybe he would head to her house now, and apologize.

His cell phone vibrated, making him jump.

He shook his head at his jumpiness and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Jason, hi."

Jason expected it to be Sonny, but was surprised when he heard it was Alexis.

Instantly, his surprise vanished, making his blood run cold. "What's wrong with Sam?"

"Oh, I'm sorry; I didn't mean to freak you out. There is actually great news on Sam. She is getting better."

"She's getting better?" Jason asked, he couldn't help keeping the hope out of his voice. Since when had he become such a softie?

Alexis explained everything.

"That's great."

"I know. Oh I also wanted to tell you that you can come any time and see her now. They moved her out of ICU, so now anyone can see her. You have to sign in and everything, but I'm sure you can ask Elizabeth if she is working there today. Diane, Molly and I are on our way to the hospital now."

"I'll come as soon as I can."

"Alright, maybe I'll see you there."

"Yeah."

She cleared her throat. "Uh…Jason? Thanks."

"Sure." He said shortly, and hung up.

He knew where he was going to go now.

He was just slipping his phone into his back pocket, when it began vibrating again.

He sighed, and opened it again.

This time it was Sonny.

"Hey Sonny."

"Jason, I need you to do something for me."

He remained silent, waiting for instructions.

"Johnny and Dominic got taken to the PCPD for fighting at Jakes. I need you to go bail them out. I would go but I have my date with Olivia."

"Actually-"

"Thanks." Sonny said, cutting him off and hanging up.

"Yeah I wasn't busy or anything Sonny." Jason sighed, putting his phone in his pocket.

He knew it might be a while before he could go see Sam.

He turned away from his door. He was just heading down the hall when he whipped around, pulling out his gun. When he turned around he faced….nothing. He could have sworn he felt someone watching him. So now he was becoming a softie and paranoid?

He shrugged off his uneasy feeling, stuffing his gun back in its rightful place. He turned and made his way down the hall.

As soon as he disappeared down the hall, someone stepped out from behind the big tree a few feet from beside Jason's door. He was dressed all in black.

He had a sick, twisted smile on his face as he chuckled darkly, and then disappeared.

**********

This was it.

The moment she found out if she was pregnant.

Oh God.

She couldn't do this.

But she had to.

She took a deep breath and looked down at the test, fearing what she might see.

She closed her eyes.

_Just look you idiot._

She opened her eyes and saw a big pink plus sign. Her breath started coming in gasps. She thought she might faint, or puke, she wasn't sure which.

She sank to her knees, sobbing loudly.

What had she done?

She didn't have much time to think, because two seconds later she was leaning over the toilet, puking her guts up.

When she was done, she sat back, leaning against the wall for support.

What was she going to do now? She felt so completely lost. She cried some more.

When she felt better, she got to her feet, tossing the test in the trash.

She grabbed the cell phone Keifer gave her and dialed his number, which she knew by heart. She held her breath while she waited for an answer. She wondered if he would answer; they hadn't talked since the night they slept together.

He did end up answering, after 4 or 5 rings.

"Hello?" Kristina hated that the sound of his voice still made her heart speed up. She thought about the child growing inside her and she wanted to go throw up again.

"It's me."

"Oh, K. How are you?" he chuckled. She could hear girls giggling in the background. She didn't even want to picture what they were doing.

"Remember me? The girl you slept with and then dropped?" she asked nastily, keeping her voice from wavering.

"Of course I remember you K. How could I ever forget you?"

"Oh spare me with that pathetic bullshit. You used me for sex. You got what you wanted and then you left. Only there's one problem. You got me pregnant dipshit."

There was silence on the other end.

She heard a door close and then, "You're pregnant?"

"Yeah." She said, and she almost couldn't stop the tears from falling.

Kristina didn't hear the girls on the other line, so she assumed Keifer went some place private.

She heard him sigh.

"Well get an abortion or something. Obviously your way too young to have a baby."

"And what if I decide to keep the baby? Where do you come in?"

"I wouldn't take care of a kid, we are done K. Done. The kid just sealed the deal. You're right, I used you. And I didn't mean to get you pregnant. That was not part of my plan." His voice turned nasty. "God I knew I should have dropped you when I had the chance, either that or beat you into oblivion."

Kristina just listened in shock.

"You better get rid of that kid. You hear me?" Keifer sneered.

"No."

"What did you just say to me?"

"I said no. The same thing I should have said when you asked me out, or to have sex. No, Keifer." She laughed, and then hung up.

After she hung up, she got pissed and threw the phone at the wall, cracking it into pieces. She didn't cry though, she was angry now.

She was angry that she wasn't smart enough to notice Keifer was a duchebag from the start. She was angry at everything.

She rested her hands on her stomach, picturing a little baby girl or boy in there. It was kind of sweet actually. She wasn't sure if she was actually going to keep the baby, like she had told Keifer. It had just seemed like the right thing to say at the time.

She wasn't sure what to do now though.

She wanted to go see Sam, but she knew her mother and Molly were going to be there, and she wasn't ready to tell them yet. She decided to go see Sam, after they had come home.

But for now, she needed to get away from here.

She went into the kitchen, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, telling her mother she would be at the library. She dumped the remains of Keifer's phone in the trash.

She pulled on her coat and boots and made her way outside.

The bright sun on the snow gave off a blinding glare. Kristina took it as a sign of hope.

That's all they had these days. Hope.

She walked off with a smile on her face.


	13. What She's Been Waiting For

_** In this story, Olivia and Sonny are together, they wanted to try again. (It's not that I don't like Claudia, I just don't really like Sonny, no offense.) Claudia is not dead, however, she moved back to Italy, after Sonny and her divorced (Could she reappear and wreck havoc again?) Sonny never found out that Claudia was responsible for Michael's shooting. Johnny still has feeling for Lulu, but Lulu is with Dominic. (Just so you know, I am not a JoLu hater; they were actually my favorite until Dominic came along.) Okay, so now that you have all the relationship status, enjoy. LOL.**_

_** And I just wanted to say I watched the episode of GH (12/22/09) and Sam and Jason tell each other they love each other! So sweet! JaSam forever! ;]**_

_** Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. **_

_**************_

__Lucky couldn't believe that of all the days, Johnny and Dominic would pick today to get in some stupid fight at Jake's.

They were both being held and Lulu had to stay for questioning. She was sitting, all pissed off in a corner, waiting to give her statement.

He went over to her.

"Seriously Lucky, were the police getting bored and had to arrest them for the stupidest thing ever?"

"Oh Lulu, calm down. I want to get out of here as much as you do."

He told her about the news he received on Sam.

"Lucky, that's great!" she leaned forward and gave him a hug.

He laughed. "I know. I just hope she wakes up soon."

She smiled at him.

Lucky got up and sauntered over to where Police Commissioner Mac, was looking over what happened.

"So Coleman called the cops because they were fighting?" Lucky asked.

"Apparently, things got pretty bad. Since Lulu was there, she could give a pretty good statement."

"No offense Mac, but considering whose locked up in there, I don't think Lulu will be giving out too true of a statement."

He sighed. "I guess you're right. You know it really sucks that your sister gets involved with mob men."

Lucky laughed at his reference. "Mob men, right. Anyway, I think you should just let them go."

"Nah, Jason is coming to bail them out. I'll keep them until then." Mac patted Lucky's shoulder roughly, before walking away.

Lucky went back to Lulu. "Jason's coming to bail them out."

Lulu sighed in relief. "Thanks Lucky."

"I didn't really do anything but your welcome." He chuckled. "I'm going to go talk to Dominic. See you."

"Bye. Hope Sam gets better."

"Thanks."

He walked over to the room where Dominic was being held. He shut the door firmly.

"You would think that being an undercover cop and all, you would be more careful then to end up in jail over a stupid bar brawl."

Dominic shrugged. "Hey, what can I say? I really like your sister."

"Okaaay. That is getting a little personal. Skip the details please."

Dominic raised his eyebrows. "I am getting out of here right?"

Lucky laughed. "Yeah, don't sweat it. Jason's coming to bail you out."

"Guess that's one good thing about pretending to be in the mob."

"Alright, just be more careful. You don't want anyone figuring out you're really Dante Falconari."

"Yeah, yeah."

Lucky rolled his eyes and walked out of the room.

When he got out, Jason was there waiting for him.

"I want to bail out Johnny and Dominic."

"Sure thing." Lucky smirked.

While Lucky was getting the paperwork in order, Lulu came over to talk to Jason.

"Hey Jason." Lulu smiled up at him.

"Oh hey." He said. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, well, Kate always has me and Maxie on our toes."

He nodded.

"You seem distracted. Everything alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I just have…somewhere else to be." He answered vaguely.

Lulu raised her perfectly waxed eyebrows.

"Alright then, catch you later." She turned as Dominic and Johnny came through the door. He smile turned into a frown.

"Oh don't you look happy to see me, babe." Dominic came over and put an arm around Lulu's waist.

"Mmm, always happy to see you." She answered back sarcastically, but she didn't push his arm away.

Johnny stood there saying nothing, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs were.

"Hey man, thanks for bailing us out." Johnny said.

"I only came because Sonny couldn't." Jason said, coldly. "Next time you two, don't get into stupid fights. Get out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Dominic said, ushering Lulu out the door.

Johnny followed them out.

**********

Since Dominic and Lulu were escorted to the police station, they didn't have a ride home. So they walked hand in hand, through the snow.

"I thought it was very nice of you, fighting for my honor and all that." Lulu said, smirking.

"Yeah, I was jealous." He said seriously.

Lulu stopped walking and turned to him. He looked at her in surprise.

"No sarcastic comment?" her eyebrows knit together in confusion.

He took his thumb and smoothed out the lines on her face. She melted under his touch, a smile spread across her face.

"You still think he likes you?" he asked, drawing her closer.

"Well, I believe it's pretty obvious he still likes me after that fight today…" she trailed off as she looked up at his face. "You really are jealous aren't you?" she laughed.

"Oh, that's funny to you?" he asked, smiling.

"Actually, I do." She laughed again.

"Oh, I'll show you funny." He said, and started tickling her.

She started jerking around in an effort to get away from him, laughing. "Come on, you know I hate being tickled!" she squealed.

"Maybe that's exactly why I'm doing it." He laughed night along with her.

She tripped over the curb, covered in snow. She fell on her back in the snow, dragging Dominic with her. It made her laugh harder.

Dominic looked at her, the sky growing dark, even though it was only 4 or 5 o'clock. She looked like an angel, with her puffy white coat, wavy blonde hair, and unique hazel colored eyes. He didn't want to look away.

She turned to him, tears streaming down her face with laughter. She stopped when she looked into his deep brown eyes.

Before she could stop herself, she reached out her hand and stroked his cheek. He caught her hand as she was pulling away, and held it against his face, savoring the feeling. He wished she would just admit her feelings towards him. It would make things so much easier, so much better.

She leaned forward and kissed his eager lips.

"Knew you couldn't resist me." He said, and winked.

"There's the Dominic I know." She said and playfully hit him. She sat up.

He sat up with her, catching the arm she hit him with. He pulled her to him again.

They kissed over and over as a ticked off Johnny watched, with dark eyes and a dark heart.

**********

Alexis, Molly, and Diane arrived at the hospital in good spirits. Alexis was proud of herself for being civil with Jason. They were all happy that Sam was improving.

They hurried to the front desk. There was no sign of the nice intern that took care of Sam. Instead, Epiphany was in her place.

Alexis' happy mood suddenly dropped a little. She stopped smiling as she approached. All she could think about was the night of Sam's accident, and the horrifying feeling of not knowing whether or not Sam was living or not, the horrible things she said to Epiphany weighed over her, making her feel guilty on top of everything.

Diane noticed the tension and started doing the talking.

"Epiphany, nice to see you." Diane said, laying the cheerfulness on a little too thick.

"Diane." She said curtly, nodding in their direction.

Diane cleared her throat. "Ah, well, yes. Anyway, we were wondering if we could get in to see Sam in her new room. We aren't sure where it is. Could you point us in the right direction?"

Epiphany riffled through papers and pulled out the one she was looking for.

"Sam is now residing in Room 39 on this floor. Down that hall and to the right. Follow the room numbers on the doors and you should find it no problem. Odd numbered rooms are on the left. Try not to let more than three in the room at a time, so you don't overwhelm her. Oh, and don't forget to sign in." she pushed another sheet in front of them.

"You got all that?" she asked, looking up at them.

Diane nodded. "I think so." She smiled. "Thanks Epiphany."

"Humph." She mumbled and then walked away to attend to someone else.

Alexis took the pen lying beside the paper and scrawled her name on the slot provided. She looked up at the clock to see what time it was and filled it in. "We need to sign out, too. Don't let me forget."

Diane leaned in and whispered to Alexis. "What happened between you and Epiphany? You could have cut the tension between you two with an ax."

Alexis couldn't help but chuckle at Diane. "That's a story for another time." She looked down at Molly. "You going to sign in?"

"Well duh Mom." She replied, but smiled teasingly. She filled in her name in the slot under her Mom's.

"Diane?" Alexis looked at Diane expectantly.

"Well, I, uh, I don't think I'll be going in, but uh, you guys have fun." Diane stammered before turning away.

Alexis grabbed her arm. "You aren't going to come in?"

Diane sighed. "I think you guys should spend some quality time together, you know as a family. You don't need me there."

"Diane, you are as much a part of our family as anyone." Molly piped up from beside her mother.

"Aw, thanks sweetie. But this is something I have to do." What Molly said brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them back.

"How will you get home, since we drove you?" Alexis pointed out.

"Oh, well I can just call Max. Somehow I don't think he will mind." Diane said and winked in Alexis' direction.

"Ohhh, I get it. You and Max are going to-"

Alexis clapped a hand over Molly's mouth before she could finish. "Yeah, I think that's enough." Alexis said, but she couldn't help but laugh.

Molly removed her mother's hand and giggled. "Sorry, Mom."

"Alright, let's just go." Alexis said. She turned to Diane. "Thanks Diane, for everything." She gave her a hug.

"Don't mention it. Just call me if you need me." She said, hugging her back. Then she turned with a small wave and pattered away with her heels.

Alexis and Molly stood there smiling as Diane walked away.

"Alright, ready to go see your sister?" Alexis asked Molly.

She nodded.

"Let's go." She said and they made their way down the hall.

The hallway was bustling with activity. Nurses and interns were hurrying every which way, tending to patients needs.

Alexis could hear the steady beeping of many monitors.

They followed the numbers on the doors just like Epiphany said.

It wasn't long before Molly called out, "Here it is."

The door to Sam's room was open. Light filtered in from the hallway. They walked in, hand in hand, afraid of what they might see.

Sam was lying in the bed, as usual. But she did look less pale. Alexis took that as a good sign.

They pulled up two chairs beside the bed.

"Remember, Molly, she can hear you. Isn't that right Sam?" Alexis wasn't sure what reaction she would get.

_Yeah, Mom I can hear you._

She wasn't sure if they would understand the hand code thing, but she decided to try. She opened and closed both of her hands.

"Mom, mom, did you see that?! She moved her hands, both of them!" Molly cried with excitement.

Sam chuckled inwardly.

"Shh, Molly." Alexis said, but Sam could hear the joy in her voice.

_Just so you know, Mom, I forgive you for not coming to see me until now._

"Just so you guys know, when she opens and closes her hands once, it means yes. Twice means no." a voice came from behind them.

_Claire!_

"Oh, I didn't mean to scare you guys." Claire said apologetically, and Sam pictured Alexis and Molly whipped around.

"Well thanks for telling us." Alexis said.

_Don't be rude mom. She is really nice._

"Oh, you must be Claire. My other sister, Kristina, told me about you. She said you were really nice. And I just wanted you to know, I appreciate everything you are doing for my sister."

Sam pictured Molly getting out of her chair and shaking Claire's hand.

"Yup that's me. And oh, no problem. It's my pleasure." Claire said, seeming surprised.

_That's my girl Molly, acting like your 21 rather than 12._

Sam heard Molly take her seat.

Claire cleared her throat and said, "I'll let you guys have your visit."

Sam heard her footsteps retreating.

"Kristina was right, Claire is really nice. I'm glad she's the one taking care of Sam." Molly said.

_I'm glad she is, too. So is there any special reason why you guys came here to see me? And Mom you want to explain why you haven't come more often?_

Alexis exhaled. "I don't really know what to say….." her voice trailed off.

Sam felt someone grab her hand. By the way it felt, small and smooth, she guessed it was Molly's.

"Sam, did you know that Mom almost had to go to the hospital? She wouldn't get out of bed or anything. Depression, I think. And Kristina had left me alone, so I didn't know what to do. Then Jason called and he got Diane to come over and now everything is fine."

"Molly, I'm sure she doesn't want to hear about all that nonsense."

_On the contrary. Please, continue._

"Anyway, you can't say Mom doesn't care about you, because that would be a lie."

_I know she cares about me; it's just that sometimes, she has a funny way of showing it._

"Sam knows I care about her, right?"

Sam opened and closed her hand once.

Sam could picture Alexis smiling. "See?"

There were a few moments of silence, but it wasn't awkward. They enjoyed being in each other's company. Molly didn't once let go of Sam's hand.

"So, Sam. Do you remember me coming in after your surgery? Like right after?"

Sam opened and closed her hands twice.

_Sorry Mom, I don't. I wish I did though. _

"Oh." Alexis said, and Sam could hear the disappointment in her voice. "Well I said some pretty meaningful things. I guess you will just have to wake up and I can tell you again."

_Sure Mom, I'll get right on that._

"We are all so glad that you are getting better. We miss you so much." Sam could hear the sorrow in her voice this time.

_Guess you never realize what you have until it's gone…or partially gone in this case. _

"We were the first ones on the sign in sheet." Molly piped up. "It surprised me actually. I would have thought Lucky would have rushed over here. Or Jason for that matter." She paused. "I don't know if you can tell, but Jason still has feelings for you. It's kind of obvious."

Sam couldn't stop her heart from beating wildly. _You think so? _

"Let's not get into all that until she gets better, alright Molly?"

Molly let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine."

Sam chuckled.

They talked for what seemed like hours. Sam wasn't sure. All she knew was that she enjoyed herself. It was the most fun she had had since entering this stupid coma. It made her want to wake up all the more. She realized she had to fight, for her family, for her friends, for everyone who needed her.

She thought back to when she was with Danny and Lila. God had said that it wasn't her time. She knew she would come out of this coma, soon. But she had to keep fighting. If she didn't, she would be stuck here until she just couldn't take it anymore.

"We have been here quite a while Sam, I think we are going to get going. We don't want to hog you." She laughed, such a rare sound with her. Sam loved hearing it.

"We promise we will come see you, a lot." Molly said. Sam could practically hear the smile in her voice.

Alexis leaned in close to Sam's ear. "Keep fighting." She whispered, then she grabbed Molly's hand and walked out the door, leaving it open.

_Don't worry mom, I will. I will._

**********

Olivia walked through the door of Sonny's house. She looked absolutely stunning in a simple deep blue long-sleeved dress. It accentuated her curves nicely. She wore a long necklace and blue pumps that matched her dress perfectly. As a change, she wore her dark Italian hair in waves down her back. Simply gorgeous.

She hoped Sonny would think so.

He still hadn't told her where they were going on this date. She was nervous, but excited.

There was no sign of Sonny yet. She decided to take a load of her feet; she had been standing all day at work at the Metro Court today.

She went over to the couch and slipped off her pumps, resting her feet on the soft carpet. She leaned into the leather cushions.

She still wasn't sure if she was making the right decision in letting Sonny back into her life. It was already bad that her son (also his son, though he doesn't know) was an undercover cop trying to bring Sonny down. But Sonny had recently divorced Claudia and Olivia just couldn't resist him anymore. Still, she was being cautious.

She had missed him over the years; she just couldn't keep lying to herself. So they had agreed to give it another shot.

She had neglected to tell Dominic, eh, _Dante_, that she was attempting to reconnect with Sonny. She knew he would protest and complain; say that it was too dangerous, blah, blah, blah. She just wasn't ready for a big speech. She just wanted to be happy again. And if that took being with Sonny, then Dante would have to accept that.

She sighed, eyes closing as she leaned her head back. She was going to enjoy this night. All she had to do was _relax._

She took multiple deep breaths, mentally calming down. She couldn't believe that after all these years; Sonny still had the same affect on her. She smiled; she couldn't wait for this date.

She flinched slightly when she felt hands moving her hair and caressing her back, then she leaned into the touch. Goosebumps rose on her skin. She hadn't yet opened her eyes, but she could tell who the hands belonged to. She hadn't even heard him approach.

She moaned softly when he kissed behind her ear.

"I thought we agreed to try again, this is moving a little fast." She said opening her eyes to the man who practically held the key to her heart.

Sonny was dressed in his normal attire; black dress pants and shirt, but he still looked just as handsome. His dark eyes held untold secrets, but when they looked over her body, she could see something else in there, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

Sonny chuckled as he walked in front of the couch to face her.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw how beautiful she looked tonight. She really outdid herself, though she always looked beautiful to him.

He went over and sat beside her on the couch. He sat closer than needed, but of course, Olivia didn't pull away; she couldn't, even if she wanted to.

He grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"You don't know how beautiful you look tonight."

"What, this old thing?" she chuckled. "I thought you might like it." She leaned forward and closed the distance between their lips.

It felt so god kissing him again. She wondered if they would have stopped if it weren't for the interruption.

Olivia jumped when she heard the door slam behind her.

She turned and saw who it was. She gasped as she quickly disentangled herself from Sonny.

Olivia avoided Sonny's questioning gaze as Dominic looked at the two of them in shock.

"Uh, Dominic, as you can see, we are kind of busy." Sonny said, gesturing between himself and Olivia.

"Yes, I can definitely see that." Dominic replied, hoping he kept the disgust out of his voice. He knew his mother would notice regardless. He refused to meet her eyes.

He cleared his throat. "I just thought I would stop by-"

"This can't wait until later?" Sonny interrupted him, standing up. "I don't even know why the guards let you in here. I gave them specific instructions- no business tonight."

"Sorry, Boss. I'll come back later." He nodded at Olivia. "Ms. Falconari." Then he left, slamming the door behind him.

**********

Dominic stood outside the door he had just slammed, trying to control his ragged breathing.

He tried to process what he had just seen; his mother with her tongue down Sonny Corinthos' throat.

This couldn't be happening.

He told himself he would have a talk with his ma, as he walked outside the front door to Sonny's house, shoes crunching in the snow. He would make her see reason.

Until then, he would have to get some serious dirt on Sonny. The sooner he brought him down, the better it would be.

For everyone, including his ma.

Even if she didn't see it yet.

**********

Revving his bike, Jason made his way to the hospital. He hoped Lucky was still on his shift at the PCPD. He didn't want to run into him at the hospital. It would be tough trying to explain his way out of that situation.

He hoped Elizabeth wasn't working tonight either. He still felt guilty for avoiding her. He just…needed to get his priorities straight first. Then he would go and apologize.

What he really needed was to see Sam.

And that was exactly where he was heading.

He could see his breath as he rode, reminding him how cold it really was. Reminding him how cold it must have been when Sam fell into the water.

He shook his head and focused on the road. He didn't need to get into a crash.

The snow also reminded him of last year, when he and Elizabeth were in the middle of their relationship. She had invited him over her house for Christmas, and how could he refuse?

He went over there and her house was all decked out in Christmas decorations, with a big Christmas tree to boot.

It all looked nice, but it was suffocating. He liked how the evening ended, after the kids went to bed. They held each other as they watched the snow fall softly outside the window, the fireplace crackling behind them.

Even that was suffocating though he enjoyed the alone time with Elizabeth.

Sam truly understood him. The Christmases that they spent together were simple, but they were always the best.

He had to stop comparing the two girls. Of course they were both different. He needed to…he had no idea.

He stopped thinking however, when he finally pulled up to the hospital.

He pulled into a parking spot, farthest away from the door. When he cut the engine, the world around him fell silent. It brought the eerie feeling back to him.

He stuffed his keys into the pocket next to the gun. He stuffed his hands numb hands in his pockets and headed to the door.

It swung open when he reached it and he relished in the warmth in the hospital. It was loud and noisy as it usually was, but he appreciated the warmth.

As he made his way to the front desk, his eyes caught the "Employee Only" door. He remembered his trip up there.

When he reached the front desk, he was relieved to see Elizabeth was off duty.

He was dismayed to see that Epiphany took her place.

"What do you want?" she practically snarled when she saw his standing there.

"I need Sam's room number." He said simply, with no emotion.

"Room 39. Sign here." She snapped, then walked away.

He looked down at the sign in sheet. He was the third person to visit today.

_Great, _he thought, _Lucky is going to take one look at this and see my name on it._

He signed anyway.

He could feel Epiphany glaring at his back as he made his way to Room 39.

The door was ajar when he approached. He pushed it open with the toe of his black boot.

He saw Sam lying on the bed, looking lost in the loose fitting hospital gown. He thought she looked thinner from the last time he saw her, though not so much it looked bad. She didn't look as pale as she did the night they brought her into the hospital, which Jason took as a good sign.

He approached the bed warily. Coming here seemed like such a good idea at first, but now….he wasn't so sure. He wasn't sure if he could take it. Seeing her like this was just…wrong.

He didn't leave however, but instead pulled up a chair and plopped into it with a sigh.

"Hey, Sam." He said, rather awkwardly. He took her fragile hand in his.

She squeezed it. He looked down at her hand in surprise.

"Oh, I forgot, you can hear me." He smiled down at her. "Just means you're coming back to us right?"

_For you, I'd do anything._

Jason could feel himself breaking down, no matter how he tried to stop it. His hand, gripping Sam's began to tremble, his shoulders sagged. He leaned forward on the bed and brought Sam's hand to his face, resting them slightly on his lips.

_Jason, what's wrong?_ Sam was shocked; Jason never showed this much emotion. Well, occasionally around her, but still…it worried her. It killed her inside, too, because she would give anything to help him right now. Anything.

It wasn't until the tears started falling on Sam's hand that he realized he was crying. He hadn't cried this much in a long time, but now he had cried twice in less than two weeks. God, he hated himself right now.

While Jason was having this realization, Sam's heart was breaking inside. It was all she could do to keep her tears from falling. She knew it would make it worse for Jason. She still wasn't sure exactly what was troubling him. She knew it couldn't just be from her being in this coma….could it?

_Jason, please don't cry…I wish I could just hold you right now and tell you everything will be okay, like you did with me all those times. If only you knew how much I loved you then…how much I love you n-…sorry._

Jason brushed the tears away furiously. But he didn't let go of Sam's hand. She squeezed it again, reassuringly.

"I'm sorry." He sighed. "I'm probably just making things worse for you. I shouldn't even be here really. I just…"

_Of course you should be here. You're my best friend, I care so much about you._

He laced his fingers through hers.

"There's something I want to say…" he trailed off.

_Well go on, say it._

"I'm sorry, I'm just such a mess." He took a deep breath.

"Sam, I think I love you."

Sam was pretty sure her heart stopped.

"I…I don't just think, I love you. I know that's not what you want to hear right now…but I needed to get that off my chest. It sure as hell complicates things. But I won't worry about anything until you wake up."

_I love you, too._

Good thing he couldn't feel her weakness at the moment. She thought she might pass out from pure bliss.

She squeezed his hand three short times, hoping he understood.

She would never know if he did because he stood up suddenly. He dropped her hand, and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "You have to wake up." He kissed her cheek and then he was gone.

He was gone, leaving her with a swelling heart, and a confused mind.

Did she love him? She was pretty sure she did. She decided to take his action and not worry about it until she woke up.

But that didn't mean she couldn't dream of this moment numerous times.

She smiled to herself and tried drifting off to sleep, Jason's face clouding her mind.


	14. The Visit

_**Hey guys! Loving the reviews, keep it up! I just wanted to mention a few quick things.**_

_**The Lucky in my story is the one played by Greg Vaughn, not the new one that just came on. No offense, but I don't really like him and the Greg Vaughn Lucky was much better.**_

_**Secondly, I want to write some other stories, but don't worry, I won't forget about this one. My new conquest will be trying to write a "Bones" story. So if any of you are interested, I'll let you know when/if I end up posting it. **_

_**If you have any idea/requests for stories, GH or others, let me know, and I'll see what I can do.**_

_**That's all for now. Thanks. Enjoy.**_

_**************_

Dominic was walking through the snow, not sure where his feet were taking him. The image of his mother and Sonny was still fresh in his mind. He just couldn't understand how his mother could do this to him. Now bringing down Sonny meant hurting her.

He sighed in frustration, kicking some snow at his feet.

He was so distracted, he almost ran headfirst into his buddy Ronnie.

"Hey, watch where you're going! Oh, Dominic it's you." Ronnie said, flashing him a smile.

Ronnie was his partner in crime, or rather his partner for solving crime. They were both working on the case with Sonny, except Dominic was doing more of the field work. He relayed any information he had to Ronnie as soon as he could.

"No, Ronnie, I don't have any more information on Sonny." Dominic snapped as he sidestepped Ronnie.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What the hell happened?" Ronnie asked, falling into step beside him.

"Nothing." Dominic said, refusing to tell Ronnie.

"You're not backing out on this thing are you?" Ronnie asked, lowering his voice. "I swear if you are having second thoughts about this, we will have you shipped back to Bensonhurst faster than you can-"

"Ronnie! Shut up! I am not backing down on this!" Dominic exploded, coming to a halt, yelling. He lowered his voice, with some effort. "I just saw my Ma with her tongue down Sonny's throat." He sighed, suddenly realizing what had happened. Saying it out loud made it more real.

Ronnie stared at him in shock. Then he recovered. "I think we are going to have to take you off the case."

Dominic looked up at Ronnie in surprise. "What?"

"This has become too much of a personal matter for you. I let it go before, but this…this is too much. I'm sorry."

Dominic wasn't in the mood for any apology. "Taking me off this case would be a mistake." He growled.

Ronnie raised his eyebrows. "How so? I would be saving you from getting caught and Sonny ending your life."

Dominic shook his head. "No, you would be taking the only guy that has ever gotten this close to Sonny of the case, having to start the investigation over again." He said, trying to make Ronnie see reason.

"This has gotten too personal for you." Ronnie pointed out again. "Plus, you are getting closer to Sonny. How do I know that you don't have the information to bring Sonny down, but you won't give it to us? How do I know you won't back out when we finally get the opportunity to bring sonny down? This was probably a big mistake." Ronnie sighed. "I'll think about this, but for now, just go home." Ronnie said, leaving no room for discussion.

"Goodnight Dominic." He said and walked off.

Dominic was unbelievably pissed. He wanted to scream, to hit someone. He wanted to wrap his hands around Sonny Corinthos' throat and watch the life seep out of him.

Instead, he took a rock and chucked it as hard as he could into the water.

"Shit." He said when a wall of water hit him, soaking his hair and arm. He started shivering, but the water brought him back to reality, the image of strangling Sonny fading away.

He stalked off, anger fueling his step.

He didn't know where his feet were taking him until he looked up and saw he was at Lulu's apartment building.

He thought about turning around and going home, but since he was already here…

He shrugged; what else did he have to lose?

He climbed into the elevator once he was inside, pressing for floor 2.

He rode the short distance silently, hoping that Lulu had some heavy duty alcohol; he needed a good stiff drink.

The doors parted and he exited, walking down the hall to Lulu and Maxie's shared apartment.

He really hoped Maxie wasn't there; explaining why he was there so late wouldn't be fun, considering Lulu knew he was an undercover cop and Maxie didn't.

When he reached the door, he knocked lightly and waited.

Lulu opened the door a few seconds later, wearing only an oversized t shirt.

He gave her a once over and grinned, looking her in the eye. Seeing her already made him feel better, and _no,_ it wasn't only for the scant clothing.

She rolled her eyes but opened the door wider, gesturing him in.

"Is, uh, Maxie home?" he asked crossing the threshold.

"Nope." She said, closing the door with a click behind him. "She is either working late at the office or with Spinelli."

"Which explains the take-out tonight." He said, matter-of-factly, looking at the table.

"Hey, we forgot to go grocery shopping." Lulu said in her defense, plopping back down on the couch to finish her meal from Kelly's.

She popped a couple of fries in her mouth. After swallowing she asked, "Want some? There really good. Mike outdid himself this time."

He laughed, taking off his coat and laying it on the chair, making sure the wet arm didn't touch the silky fabric. He went to sit beside her.

She noticed his hair and raised her eyebrows, but didn't ask any questions for which he was grateful.

He stuffed a handful of fries in his mouth then slouched back in his seat, throwing one arm lazily behind Lulu.

She looked at him then scooted closer, snuggling in, resting her head on his shoulder. He felt unbelievably warm.

He smiled and moved his head so that his chin was resting on top of her hair.

"What's wrong Dominic?" she asked, always seeming to know when something was wrong, even when he tried his hardest to keep it from her.

When he didn't answer, she took his hand in hers, and started playing with his fingers. "Well?" she inquired.

He sighed. He knew it was useless trying to pretend that he was okay. He gave in, telling her about his run in with Sonny and his mother, and then with Ronnie.

"You got any booze?" he asked when he was finished. Reassessing his problem made him want a drink all over again.

She eyed him disapprovingly, but got up soundlessly, bringing him back a glass of scotch.

"Thanks babe." He took the glass from her, ignored another eye roll and tipped his head back.

He downed half its contents in one sip, wincing as it burned his throat.

"Be careful." She said, but she was obviously lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, setting the glass on the table and pulling her to him again. She sat with her legs draped over him, folded slightly. He stroked her bare legs, noticing her quiver.

"Nothing really…maybe it's for the best that you get taken off this case."

He stopped, his hand halfway up her thigh. "What?"

She could hear the hardness that entered his voice. "No, I mean I know it means a lot to you, but…"

"It was my whole reason to coming to Port Charles." He said, tense. He thought of all people, Lulu would understand. But he was wrong.

"I just don't want you to get hurt." She protested.

"Are you, Lulu Spencer, admitting you have feelings for me?" he asked, resuming stroking her.

"Yes, I do. Happy?" she snapped.

"Very." He purred, nuzzling her neck.

She giggled as he took another sip of the scotch.

"You want some more?" she asked, lying down on the couch, her golden locks flowing around her.

"Nah, I'm not much of a drinker anyway." He lay down beside her. "Besides, you always make me feel better."

She turned so that her face was buried in his chest and smiled.

He wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair. Sometimes, he just couldn't get enough of her. She sighed, content.

They laid there for a while, long enough that he could hear soft snores coming from Lulu. He looked down at her face, partially covered by his shirt. Her delicate eyelids were closed. She looked so peaceful while she slept.

He didn't want to move, fearing he would wake her up. So, he took the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch, and threw it over the two of them.

Then he, too, fell asleep, inhaling Lulu's sweet scent.

**********

Kristina made up her mind; she was running.

She couldn't bear to see her mother's disappointment if she told her she had gotten pregnant. Plus, her mom already had enough to deal with, with Sam in the coma and all.

She was just walking near the library when she came to this conclusion. She needed to get home before her mom so she could at least pack some of her belongings. She swore. It would probably be too late now.

She pulled out all the money she had in her pocket, dismayed to see only $20. That wouldn't be enough to buy her any new clothes, maybe a shirt or two.

Then she remembered the credit card her mom had given her recently, in case of emergencies she had said. Kristina definitely viewed this as an emergency.

She kept it in her back pocket and she pulled it out now. The shiny gold material had never looked as good to her as it did now.

She practically ran the few blocks over to the Mall.

She went through the doors, wondering where to start. She needed cheap but durable clothes, since she didn't know where she was going or how she was getting there.

She decided to go to Old Navy first, then hit other stores if she needed to.

She got most of her clothes there, grabbing sweatshirts, hats, shirts, bras, anything she could think of. She also got different sizes, not sure how big she was going to get. She racked up over 200 bucks easy.

The lady at the cash register looked at her funny, but didn't say a word as she rang her out. Kristina thanked her when she was finished and exited the door.

She figured she could grab all her essentials (i.e. a toothbrush, deodorant, etc.) at CVS across the street or something.

She went over to payless to buys some boots and sneakers, hoping they would last.

She figured she was done, and was exiting the mall to head over to CVS when she had a thought.

Next thing she knew, she was at a baby store, picking out clothes, for both a boy and a girl, not sure what she was expecting.

She brought them up to the register, nervous. But the cashier either didn't care or wasn't paying attention. She left just as easy as she had in Old Navy.

She sat on a bench outside the store, feeling a bout of nausea. She hoped it would pass quickly. She thought about everything she needed, making a mental checklist in her head.

_Oh,_ she thought. _I need something to carry this all in._

She headed over to a camping store and bought a backpack.

With some effort she stuffed all the bags in the backpack and headed out of the mall, and across the street to CVS.

Finally, she was ready. But by this time, she was having second thoughts. Could she really pull this off? Would they eventually find her?

Maybe they would find her, but she would have to try. She couldn't hurt anyone else. This was her mistake, and she would have to fix it.

She wanted to leave some sort of note for her Mom, hoping it would ease the pain of her leaving. Maybe, when she was far gone and Sam woke up, Sam would tell her Mom what really happened with Kristina.

She decided to head home first, hoping her Mom was running late coming back from the hospital. Maybe she could write a quick note and then leave.

She headed home, the backpack feeling like lead on her back.

She gave a sigh of relief when she saw that the car was not in the driveway yet. She hurried inside, a race against time. It was already pretty dark out, and she wanted to get started. She didn't know her Mom was going to be staying that late at the hospital anyway.

She tore up the note that she had written before, and took another piece of paper. She wrote the note, and was just finishing when she heard the rumble of a car pulling in the driveway.

She left the note on the table, and ran upstairs, trying to be as quiet as she could. She had just disappeared at the top of the stairs when she heard the front door open and Alexis and Molly chattering happily.

She sighed, tears forming in her eyes for the third time today. She would miss them so much. She would miss everyone.

But she had to do this.

She took a deep breath and padded silently to her room. Thankfully she had left the door open and she walked inside. She kept her ears alert for any sign of them coming up the stairs, or of them finding the note. She just heard them talking happily as they were when they came through the door.

Some of the tears slipped down her cheeks, but she was too busy sliding open the window without making a sound. It squeaked loudly and she held her breath, praying they were too busy to notice.

She didn't hear them coming up the stairs to investigate, so she threw her backpack out the window and was halfway through the window when they fell silent below her. She guessed they had found the note.

She had to hurry.

She squeezed the rest of her out of the window, her foot searching for purchase. She found the vines that grew up this side of the house and climbed down them, as she had many times before, sneaking out to meet Keifer.

When she reached the ground, she gathered up her backpack and stood there, gazing at the house, the life, she was leaving behind.

She rubbed the remaining tears off her cheeks, hoping she appeared strong, and walked away.

She didn't look back.

**********

Johnny slammed through the door of his apartment, extremely drunk.

After watching Dominic and Lulu in the snow, he had gone back to Jake's to get a drink. One drink turned into two, two turned into three, and well, you know how the rest goes.

He can't believe Lulu still controlled his life.

He had regretted leaving her the moment he did it. But he had really thought it was for the best. He had ruined her life, from the start, even putting her in Shadybrook, though that wasn't really his fault. Even after that, he had almost slept with Maxie, and kissed her on occasion. Lulu found out and she was pretty pissed, as she should be.

So, he left her.

Even though she wanted to work it out, he left her.

And now his life was a hell hole. And seeing her with Dominic Parelli just made it all the worse.

He was at a loss. He felt like he was going insane, which wouldn't be such a surprise. Seriously, look at his father.

He stumbled in the dark over to the couch, in a drunken stupor.

He closed his eyes, fighting of nausea.

Except whenever he closed his eyes, he saw _**her.**_

His eyes shot open and he jumped of the couch. He took some glasses of the table in front of him and threw them one by one into the wall, enjoying the sound of it smashing. He overturned the table, screaming obscenities.

He stopped, breathing hard, tears on his cheeks.

He wiped the tears away furiously and slid to the floor in a heap.

What was wrong with him? What had he become?

He dropped his head in his hands.

The phone began to ring. He got to his feet clumsily, and stumbled to the phone.

He tried to look at the caller ID, but his whole world was blurred. Looking at it only made him dizzy, increasing the nausea. He shut his eyes and answered the phone. He was grateful that the phone had stopped ringing, yet it echoed inside his head.

"Hello?" he asked, slowly.

"John?" a familiar female voice that he hadn't heard in awhile, replied.

"Claudia? What do you want?" his words slurred together, making it hard for Claudia to understand him.

"What do I want John? I was just calling to make sure my little brother was okay." She paused. "Apparently, you are far from it."

"I'm fine." He answered, trying his hardest not to empty his stomach on the rug. That would be a bitch to clean.

"Don't lie to me, John." She said sternly.

Johnny had to admit, he had missed his sister since she had moved back to Italy. He felt like a part of him was missing, even more so than losing Lulu. He was just full of holes, falling apart from so many wounds. For some reason this made him laugh.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing." He chuckled. Then on a more serious note, "How is Italy? Uncle Rudy treating you well?"

"Well, yeah, I guess. Anything is better from Daddy. Or Sonny." She said as an afterthought.

"I knew I was right about you and him." Johnny said, getting sick of the conversation.

"Johnny, there is something wrong, really wrong. Please just tell me what it is. I want to help."

"I'm fine. And I wouldn't tell you anyway…you would think I'm being pathetic, which I probably am. But I just don't care anymore, Claudia. I honestly don't." he opened his eyes, and made his way back to the couch, avoiding the shards of glass that littered the floor.

"Oh, it's Lulu." She said knowingly.

"Maybe it is." He said, giving up on keeping it from her.

"She is still tearing you apart John? Last you told me you left her. Well good riddance!"

"Don't say that Claudia!" Johnny said, his voice rough with anger.

She sighed. "Fine, but you shouldn't let some girl take control of your life like this. Getting drunk alone at home? I mean, come on."

He didn't say anything and the silence stretched on.

"I think I am going to come home." Claudia said, breaking the silence.

"What? Why?" Johnny asked, confusion setting in.

"Because I'm worried about you John! You're tearing yourself up over Lulu. I'm sorry but she is just not worth it."

"I loved her." He said quietly.

Claudia sighed, exasperated. "That's it John, I'm hopping on the next flight back to Port Charles."

Before he could protest, Claudia hung up. He flung the phone down on the floor, angry at Claudia. No, not angry at Claudia, but about everything.

He got up and almost made it to his bedroom before going and throwing up all the alcohol he had drank that night.

He thought it might make him feel better, but instead made him worse. He practically crawled into bed, pulling the covers up over his head, as if to block out the world.

**********

Sam had slept a long time. She had needed the rest.

She had woken up, unsettled by this dream that she kept having. Every time she entered her sleep like state, she kept having this dream over and over again. She had to figure out what it meant.

She saw herself walking swiftly, to who knows where, tears clouding her vision. Arriving at what looked like the pier, then falling into the water, whacking her head on the way. She almost drowned, blacking out a couple of times.

But sometimes, she didn't think she "fell."

Calloused hands grabbing her, pushing her, the dark water swallowing her.

Even after she woke up, she had a nagging feeling.

Was it only a dream?

**********

Olivia had been uncomfortable since the visit from Dominic, and Sonny could sense that.

He poured himself a drink, filling another glass for Olivia as well.

He brought her the drink, which she took gratefully.

"What's wrong? You've been acting strange since after Dominic left."

"Oh it's…nothing." It was times like these that she just wanted to blurt out that Dominic was really Sonny's son. But she bit her tongue. She couldn't endanger her son.

"Okay." He said slowly, obviously not believing her. "Well, we can't let it ruin the rest of our evening." He said, taking her by the hand.

"Close your eyes." He instructed.

After some pestering, she obliged.

He led her, he said, "I am going to show you something really important to me, something people really special to me have seen."

They stopped suddenly and a door opened. Olivia raised her eyebrows.

"Okay." He said, releasing her hand. "Open your eyes."

Olivia opened her eyes into the bright light of….the kitchen?

She didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this. Not that she would complain; Sonny was an excellent cook.

"Um, what are we doing here?" she asked.

"Well, you're going to help me cook our meal for the evening."

She looked at him smiling. "Okay, let's get started."

He gave her a quick tour, showing her where all the spices, utensils, etc. were.

She flipped aimlessly through a cookbook. "So what are we going to make?" she inquired.

He sidled over to her, shutting the cookbook. He was so close, that their arms were touching. "I was thinking we could go Bensonhurst style." He breathed. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck.

She turned to him, and she him smiling just enough so that his dimples showed. "At this rate, we might be cooking all night." She chuckled.

"Fine by me." He replied. He backed up though, grabbing ingredients from different shelves and stacking them on the counter.

She sifted through them, already tasting her mother's secret recipe for pasta sauce, or as real Italians call it, gravy. She felt a smile on her face.

He grabbed the last of the ingredients on the counter in front of her.

She surveyed what had to be done, with hands on her hips. She grabbed some mixing bowls and got to work throwing things in this bowl and that bowl, adding this, pouring that. Sonny helped, too, adding his own secrets.

They were waiting for the pasta to boil, and for the gravy to heat up when Olivia called out.

"Hey, Sonny?"

"Hmm?" he turned, getting a face full of flour.

He looked so ridiculous standing there with his lips pursed, eyes squeezed shut, that Olivia couldn't control her laughter. She clutched at her side, laughing hard.

Sonny tried wiping some of the flour off, clearing his eyes. He took some flour from the bag and dumped a whole cup on her.

Her mouth turned into a surprised little "o," the laughter cutting off abruptly as she inhaled flour.

"No…fair…" she coughed.

Now it was Sonny's turn to laugh. He rarely ever let loose around people; usually he had to be the big boss, the head honcho. But around Olivia, it was different. He got to be himself. And he loved every minute of it.

While he was lost in his realizations, he was oblivious to Olivia, who was picking up a cupful of water, and heading toward him.

She proceeded to dump the water over his head. It took off some of the flour on his face, but soaked his shirt.

"You're going to get it now!" he hollered, heading toward the sink and grabbing the spray nozzle.

He turned the faucet on full blast, squeezing the handle of the nozzle, causing a spray of water to coat Olivia. It soaked her head to toe.

She looked like a drowned rat, standing there, hair and dress dripping.

She headed toward him, looking for what else she could throw at him. she wasn't looking at the floor, which was slippery with water and flour, and she tripped with her heels on.

"Ah!" she cried out as she fell.

"Look out!" Sonny cried, coming toward her, to try and help her. Je made things worse, slipping and falling with her. He landed hard beside her.

"Oww." He moaned.

"Oh, don't be such a baby." Olivia said, cracking up. She kicked off her heels and started making flour angels on the floor.

He shrugged, and joined her.

Well, that's one way to make a big dinner.

**********

The door opened with a light squeak.

Sam hoped it was Jason coming back to sit and talk with her. Her heart sped up.

She noticed this person had a limp of some sort. Not Jason, not anyone she knew. Her heart sped up again, this time in fear.

"Hello Sam." He said in a creepy voice that sent shivers down her spine, shaking her to the very core.

_Who the hell are you? I don't even know you?_

"I know you can hear me. I hear you're getting better. Such a shame." The voice said, coming closer.

_Don't come any closer. Just get out of here. How did you even get in here? Visitation has been over for hours. _

"You may not know me…"

_No freaking duh._

"But I definitely know you."

_Yeah that's not creepy._

Any other comment was wrenched from her throat, when she felt cool fingers stoking her jaw line.

She froze completely.

"If you haven't guessed by now, it was me down by the pier. I watch you very closely you know, and I followed you there, from Jason's apartment in fact."

His voice was like the whisper of dead leaves upon the ground. She began to shake in fear, hoping he didn't notice.

"I pushed you, but I guess I didn't get the job done, considering you are here."

_Oh my god, oh my god, he tried to KILL me._

His hand tensed up and the next thing she knew, she was being back handed across the face, _hard._

_What the fuck? OW._

"Sorry, didn't mean to hurt you." He chuckled, resuming stroking her cheek.

_That's nice, slap around a girl who's IN A COMA! Does that register in your brain? You're freaking INSANE. And quit touching me, I don't even know you!_

Sam was starting to get really scared. She was trying to be tough, but she was shaking. She needed Lucky or Jason, anyone, who could protect her. She couldn't even _move _and this guy was slapping her. And the way he made it sound…he was the reason why she was in this coma in the first place.

She had to tell someone.

She needed him to leave.

She needed to WAKE UP.

She pushed with all her might against the darkness, and she could have sworn it receded a bit. She kept pushing but to no avail.

She forgot about waking up completely, all she needed was to see. At least see who this insane monster was.

She struggled in an invisible battle with her eye lids. They refused to move.

No, wait! There was a flicker, they opened for a second, and she got a glimpse of a dark room, filled with some chairs, monitors beeping, and a feeding tube sticking out of her.

Then she saw the man who was standing over her. She couldn't see much of him at all. Just that he blended into the room, meaning he must be wearing black.

And his eyes, oh she saw his eyes. They were like bottomless pits. They were completely void of any emotion.

She remembered thinking that they were the eyes of someone who had truly lost it.

They were empty.

She slammed her eyes closed, before he could notice that she was looking. She was afraid he might kill her if she was able to identify him.

But then a thought occurred to him. He knew she could hear, so why would he be telling her all of this?

She could only think of one possible explanation.

He was planning to kill her.

Maybe he would do it now, as she was trapped, unable to move, unable to fight. Why not? He had expected her to drown. He had pushed her with his own hands.

She wanted to scream, she wanted to alert someone. She needed to get out of here. She couldn't even defend herself.

"I am at a dilemma here, Sam…" she could hear him walking around the room slowly. She wondered where he got his limp.

She was tempted to open her eyes again, but she didn't want to risk it, plus she wasn't sure if she even could do it again.

_Oh, so what's your dilemma now? _She was still trying to be strong.

"I mean, I could just take out this feeding tube…" she felt him pulling lightly on her feeding tube.

"Or smother you with this pillow case." She felt a tugging behind her head.

"But they would just assume that you had died within your coma, not that you had been murdered." He leaned in close when he said the word "murder." She could feel his breath on her face, and she wanted to gag.

"It's so much better with an audience." He said, backing up. "Maybe Lucky would want to see it, or better yet, Jason." He sneered when he said Jason's name.

_So you have something against Jason? Well then you've got the wrong girl. You should be going after Elizabeth. _Now it was her turn to sneer.

_Wait, why am I even listening to you? God, just leave me and everyone else the hell alone!_

He went close to her and squeezed her bare leg. "So, I'm going to wait. But don't worry, I'll be back."

The way he said it, she knew he meant it.

She had to wake up before he got the chance to come back.

She realized with a sinking feeling, that she was in real danger. She needed help.

"I'll see you later, my love." He said, chuckling darkly, letting go of her leg.

She heard him retreat to the door.

"Nighty-night, don't let the bed bugs bite." He said in a sing-song voice.

The door closed, and she was alone.

Thankfully, alone.

She needed to think.

She assessed her situation, seeing no way out.

_Shit._


	15. Mixed Feelings

_**In case you didn't know, I posted another GH story and the Bones story I was telling you about. They each only have one chapter so far, but I promise, I'm working on them. So check those out and review, along with his one. I love reading your reviews, good or bad. (Thankfully, most have been good.)**_

_**I have writer's block, which is why it is taking me longer to get my chapters up, but I will get as many up before vacation is over.**_

_**Alright, enough of my chit chat, just READ! Aha. **_

_**************_

__Lulu Spencer opened her eyes, light flooding in through the window.

She became aware of strong arms wrapped around her. She looked up at Dominic's beautiful face. He was still sleeping, snoring softly.

She didn't want to leave the safe feeling she felt when she was in his arms, plus she didn't want to wake him.

But she was in desperate need of a shower. So she tried to untangle herself from Dominic's grasp.

She heard his breathing change, a yawn, and his arms tightened around her.

"Where are you going?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His hair was stuck up at odd angels, and she resisted the urge to smooth them down.

"I was going to take a shower." She replied softly, sitting up and stretching.

"Oh, you need any help with that?" he asked. And even though her back was to him, she could hear the smirk in his voice.

She heard him shift behind her. "I could, you know, scrub your back." He said, running a hand down her back.

She shuddered involuntarily.

"As tempting as that sounds," she began sarcastically. "I think I can handle it by myself." She finished and stood up.

She headed into her bedroom.

"Yeah, I guess I'll just wait here." He called to her.

She turned around and flashed him a grin, but couldn't help suppressing a laugh.

She pulled out some clothes out of her dresser and laid them on her bed. She turned to go into the bathroom when she saw Dominic perched in the doorway of her room.

"Geez, you scared me." She said.

"Sorry, I just had a question." He said, plopping down on her bed. "Nice comforter." He grinned up at her.

"Thanks, Maxie went a little overboard redecorating and everything. So, what was the question?" she replied, going into the bathroom.

"Does this mean we're dating now?"

"What? I can't hear you!" she yelled, shutting the door and turning on the water for the shower.

Dominic laughed, lying back on the bed.

While in the shower, Lulu let the warm water coat her body, and her thoughts roam.

She thought about Dominic's question.

She supposed they were dating. The problem was, she hadn't dated since Johnny broke her heart.

It took months of putting the pieces of her heart back together, to return to normal. But now, she wasn't so quick to jump into relationships, fearing yet another broken heart.

But then, here comes Dominic. Different from her past mistakes, but still capable of ripping her to shreds. He seemed like an honest man, who only told her the truth, and who wouldn't cheat on her, of that she was sure.

It was true, Dominic made her pulse race, and her knees go weak every time he was around. She cared about him more then she let on. WAY more then she let on. She was pretty sure he cared a lot about her; he wouldn't give up on her, even when she totally blew him off. Now here they were. He wasn't pushing her to have sex either; he seemed willing to wait for her. He seemed perfect.

But what seems too good to be true, is.

So back to the original question: Where they dating? Or better yet, was she willing to risk herself yet again?

She shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping one of the many designer towels around her tightly.

She towel dried her wet hair, so it didn't drip on the carpet, then opened the door and exited the steaming bathroom.

She padded softly to her bed, where Dominic lay with his eyes closed.

"Yeah, we're dating." She whispered in his ear.

He must have been grinning like an idiot, but he didn't care.

He pulled her down on top of him and kissed her deeply.

They stopped only when Dominic's phone beeped.

"Don't answer it." She said into his mouth.

"What if it's Sonny?" he said back.

She sighed, getting off him and began dressing.

He answered his phone. "Dominic Pirelli."

"It's Ronnie. Meet me at Kelly's right away." He said, and hung up.

Dominic snapped his phone shut and groaned.

"What's wrong?" Lulu asked. She was pulling her hair into a high pony, looking in the mirror.

"That was Ronnie. I have to go meet him at Kelly's. Now." He said, standing up and buttoning the buttons Lulu's soft fingers had undone, covering his chest. _**(A/N: Seriously, his chest. To. Die. For.) **_

__He made his way over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and kissed her neck. "I'm sorry." He said, looking at her in the mirror.

"Nah, it's alright." She said, hoping the disappointment didn't show. She knew this was important to him. And it could mean he had to go back to Bensonhurst….she wouldn't think about that now.

"I'll call you later so we can set up our very first date." He winked at her and walked out of her bedroom, grabbing his jacket off of the chair. The arm was mostly dry.

She followed him.

"See ya babe." He said, closing the door behind him.

Lulu was thankful for the time alone. She needed to think.

Had she made the right choice in deciding to trust Dominic?

She honestly didn't know.

She needed to go see her cousin, Carly Corinthos-Jax. And soon.

**********

Johnny had been out all day, running errands for Sonny, going to Kelly's since he had no food in his house, doing nothing in particular really.

So you can bet he was surprised when he opened the door of his apartment and saw none other than Claudia Zacchara sitting on the couch, as natural as could be.

"Claudia? What are you doing here?" he asked, both irritated and glad to see her.

"Hey John, it's nice to see you too." She said, getting up of the couch and hugging her brother.

He hugged her back. "Sorry. It's not that I'm not glad to see you, but why are you here?"

"Don't you remember our conversation last night?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows. No, he probably didn't. He sounded too drunk to function.

Claudia was dressed in her normal attire; black tight shirt and pants, red jacket and red kitten heels. Same old Claudia. It was nice that some things never changed.

He scrunched up his face, trying to recall last night. The only thing he really remembered was throwing up, and then collapsing into bed. Actually, now that he thought about it, he remembered talking to Claudia.

Claudia laughed at her brother's expression. "Guess not." She said, resuming her position on the couch.

"No, yeah I remember." He said, setting his left over food from Kelly's on the coffee table in front of them. He sat down beside her. "I didn't think you were serious."

"Well believe it bro, because here I am." She laughed again.

"Italy seems to be treating you well. You don't seem as…." Well, he was going to say bitchy, but took it back.

"Yeah, without the stress in Port Charles, I have been in better spirits." She said, able to read his thoughts. "Kinda lonely though."

"Sorry." He mumbled. "It was for the better."

"Yeah, I know." She said, placing her hand on his. She flipped her hair back, becoming composed again. "But enough about me, I came here for you. What's with the late night drinking binges?" she questioned, cutting right to the chase.

"Thought I already told you." He said, shaking her hand off his.

"Don't push me away John." She sighed, seeing his expression and knowing she wouldn't get anything out of him right now. "Fine, I'll drop it, for now."

There was a slight pause.

"So, tell me what's been going on here. How much have I missed?"

"Nothing really. Port Charles was pretty boring without you." He gave her a small smile, which she returned gratefully.

Yea, Italy was boring too. No brother to take care of, no worrying about a husband killing you. Very uninteresting. Even with all those great looking males. Never realized how good looking Italians are." She giggled.

Johnny chuckled at her. "So does anybody else know you're here?" he asked.

"No, I don't know many people who would welcome me back with open arms." She smiled ruefully.

**A/N: By the way, since Sonny didn't find out that Claudia helped shoot Michael, the whole thing with Claudia taking Carly didn't happen.**

"Well, who needs them?" he said.

"You sure you don't want to tell me about what's bothering you?"

Determined to change the subject, Johnny cleared his throat and asked, "So where are you staying?"

"Is here okay?" she asked.

"Of course. I'll help you take your bags into the guest room." He said, standing up and grabbing two of the heavily packed suitcases. "How long did you say you were saying?" he asked teasingly.

She smacked him playfully, and they spent the rest of the afternoon chatting and unpacking.

Like two normal brothers and sisters.

As if.

**********

Mac tapped lightly on the Davis' door.

He hoped he hadn't made a mistake in coming down here. He was just worried about Alexis. When she had called to tell him that Kristina had run away, he immediately became concerned. Alexis had one daughter in a coma and one on the run. That had to be hard on anyone.

He hadn't sent out a search party on Alexis' request. She still seemed to believe that Krissy would walk through this door any day now.

Molly opened the door. "Hey Mac." She said cheerfully, but he could tell that the problems with her sister's were affecting her too.

"Hey Molly." He said, ruffling her hair as he stepped into the house. "Is your Mom home?"

"Hello Mac." Alexis piped up, from the couch.

"How are you?" he asked immediately.

"Oh, I'm…" Alexis managed to stay composed for about two more minutes before burying her face in her hands.

Mac turned to Molly. "Why don't you go watch a movie upstairs or something? I'll send up some popcorn in a little while."

"Sure, no problem." Molly said, knowing what they were going to do. Talk about Kristina. She scurried upstairs, not planning to watch the movie.

As soon as Mac was sure Molly was safely upstairs, he turned to Alexis. He hadn't moved, but he could see her shoulders gently shaking.

He knew she tried to act like nothing was wrong in front of Molly, but she wasn't expected to keep her feelings bottled up inside all the time.

He sat by her and put a comforting hand on her back. "It's going to be okay Alexis."

"Oh, look at me, I'm just being pathetic." She cried, sitting up and wiping the tears away from her eyes.

She took deep breaths, trying to compose herself again. She sniffled.

"Oh, Mac, I want to show you something." She said, standing up off the couch and heading into her office. He followed. "I'm sorry I didn't show it to you sooner."

She grabbed a paper that was sitting by her laptop.

Tears pooled in her eyes again, but she didn't let them show. She wordlessly handed Mac the letter.

Mac took the letter, looking at her curiously. He opened it and saw Kristina's girly handwriting.

_Mom,_

_I'm not going to lie and say I'm at the library or at a friend's house and that I'll be back later. I'm not coming back. Nobody kidnapped me, I just needed to leave. I couldn't bear the disappointment on your face at what I have done. Don't worry, it's not illegal. Please don't worry about me. Focus on Sam and Molly. I will miss you and Molly and Sam very much. No matter what you believe, I still love you. Please don't involve the police._

_Krissy._

Mac didn't say a word as he laid the note back on the table.

He didn't say anything as he pulled into a hug.

He didn't say anything when she burst into tears.

Molly didn't say anything, but she watched the whole thing.

**********

Maxie burst through the door of Spinelli and Jason's apartment.

"Spinelli, you here?" she called out.

He slammed his laptop closed. He got up off the couch, but had to sit back down because his foot was causing him a lot of pain lately.

"I am here Maximista. Not sure where I would go, considering I'm now a cripple."

"Good, because we have to change your bandages. And don't worry; I like you just as much with you being a cripple." She gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

She threw down her coat and purse and pulled off her gloves.

"It's getting cold out there." Maxie remarked. "It makes me think of how cold Sam…" Maxie froze. It was still hard to talk about Sam. She sighed, taking a seat by Spinelli.

"We mustn't act like she is gone Maximista. Have faith."

"Christmas is going to be lonely without her." She cleared her throat, ready to change the subject. "So Jason's not here I take it."

"I believe, if my memory serves me, that Stone Cold is talking with Mr. Sir, or if he has finished that, either with the Maternal One, or Fair Samantha. Stone Cold has since thrown himself into his work as the result of Sam being in a coma."

"Right. Well let's get these old bandages off."

"The Jackal fears his foot is getting worse. I thought it should be getting better."

"It should be…" she trailed off as she unraveled the bandages.

"Ew! Spinelli, I think it's infected!" it looked way worse than it had. "We are going to the hospital. Now." She said, hastily rewrapping his foot.

She went to grab their coats but he caught her arm. "We can't go to the hospital, Stone Cold advised us against it."

"Well, we can make up some lame story. I don't want you to get extremely infected." She lightly shook him off, pulling on her coat and going into the closet to grab his.

She helped him put it on, as he constantly babbled on how he was fine, and they really shouldn't go, Stone Cold's order, blah, blah, blah.

"Spinelli." She said, holding up a hand. "Stop. We are going to the hospital and that's final. Come on." she said, helping him struggle to his feet, well his one good foot.

He gave up trying to convince her he was fine, it was pointless. Once Maxie set her mind to something, she rarely gave up.

He accepted her help as he got into the car.

They listened into the radio playing softly until they reached the hospital.

Luckily, Elizabeth was on duty today, and she got them into a room fairly fast.

"Just sit tight Spinelli, someone will be in shortly." Elizabeth explained as she had him sit on the bed.

"Thanks again Elizabeth." Maxie said, who was sitting cross-legged, flipping through a magazine.

"Anytime." She said, giving them one last smile before exiting.

"More like she's worried what Jason might say if she didn't get us a room." Maxie replied, setting the magazine down.

"Maximista, please try not to bad mouth the Maternal One. Any friend of Stone Cold's is a friend of mine." Spinelli said loyally.

"Let's not talk about Elizabeth or Jason right now. Let's focus on your foot and hope it's not infected." She said, walking over to the bed and taking his hand.

They waited a few more minutes when a young blonde girl in pink intern's garments came in, clutching a clipboard and sporting a large smile.

"Mr. Spinelli is it?" she asked, glancing down at her clipboard. "Hi, I'm Claire."

For once, Spinelli was speechless. This blonde beauty with dazzling blue crystals for eyes had rendered him tongue tied.

He tried stuttering out a coherent word, let alone sentence and failed.

Maxie saw how Spinelli was reacting, and her eyes narrowed. "It's about time you got here." She snapped.

Spinelli finally found the power to speak. "Maximista, don't act this way." He said, shocked at how rude she was being at the Angel of Mercy, who only came to aid him in his time of need.

"Hey, it's alright." She said, her smile never faltering. "It's busy here tonight. I apologize." She said, directing it at Maxie.

Maxie's lip curled in disgust.

"Would you mind stepping back a bit…Maximista?" Claire asked, unsure of the name.

"It's Maxie." She said, going to sit down again. She buried her face in her magazine, losing herself in celebrity gossip. Some brilliant idea, bringing Spinelli to the hospital.

"Why do you call her Maximista?" Claire asked, as she was taking Spinelli's blood pressure.

Maxie bit back a snarky comment on how it was none of her business.

"Because, my Maximista is working for the fashion magazine Crimson. I give special nicknames to everyone."

"Crimson? Impressive."

"Please, no autographs." She said, making a face, grateful for the cover of the magazine.

Clare stuck a thermometer into Spinelli's mouth. Well, I think the names are cute." She said, taking the thermometer out when it beeped. "Do I have one?"

Spinelli opened his mouth and flushed. "The Jackal deems you as the Angel of Mercy."

She looked up in surprise and flushed also, but her eyes twinkled. "Well, thank you Mr. Jackal."

Maxie's eyes hardened and her hands clutched the magazine so hard that he knuckles turned white as she watched their little exchange.

"May I take a look at your foot Mr. Spinelli?"

"You have my consent. Please, continue."

"These bandages are wrapped pretty good. How often did you say you change them?"

"Every other day." Maxie couldn't help but pipe up.

"Well, that wouldn't cause infection…" she finished unwrapping the bandages. "But it is definitely infected."

"It's not too bad though." She said, grabbing an ointment from a shelf. "We are going to give you this to apply two times a day. Preferably once in the morning and once at night."

Spinelli nodded, hanging onto every word, even though Maxie would be the one applying it.

Claire quickly demonstrated how to put it on, a pair of crutches.

"If it gets any worse, come back and we will give you pills." She smiled.

Maxie stood up out of her chair, slamming the magazine down.

"The Jackal appreciates all you have done Angel of Mercy."

"You're very welcome." She said, winking so that Maxie wouldn't see and walked out.

Maxie waited by the door, tapping her shoe impatiently as Spinelli slowly got out of bed. "Today would be nice."

"The Jackal's foot is causing him pain. Have a little sympathy." Spinelli clumsily walked over to Maxie with the crutches. "Besides, this isn't about my foot, but the Angel of Mercy." Spinelli said, hobbling ahead.

Maxie glared at his back, mouth opened in surprise. She walked up beside him, holding open the door. "And what is that supposed to mean?" she asked, her voice shrill.

She pulled her coat around her tighter as a frigid wind hit her.

"You're jealous." He said simply, shrugging.

She got into her car, slamming the door shut, as Spinelli got in the other side, much slower.

"I'm not jealous." She hissed, cranking up the heat and pulling out of the God forsaken parking lot. "It's not my fault you guys were making eyes at each other the whole time." She scoffed.

"I rest my case." Spinelli said.

"Plus she was a major bitch."

Spinelli didn't point out that Maxie was the one who started the hostile behavior. "Don't fret Maximista; you hold the one place in my heart."

He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

He looked hurt, but she didn't care

You don't hurt Maxie Jones.

It's always the other way around.

Always.


	16. Made It

It had been one month.

One full month since the psycho killer came in and told Sam he was going to kill her.

She lived every day on the edge, expecting him, but couldn't move to defend herself, which was torture.

But, he never came.

Christmas passed; she imagined a pile of gifts in one of the corners of her room. A lot of people had come to see her. The New Year had passed also. They had a party in her room, even counting down when the ball dropped. It was a place of warmth. Not of fear or death.

Even before the holidays, people came. Lucky stopped in two to three times a week, Jason, maybe once a week, but she couldn't complain. Besides, she didn't want him right? She had all but forgotten he told her he loved her. He just missed her.

She remembered one particular Alexis visit. She told her Kristina had run away. Sam guessed the pregnancy test had come back positive.

But her thoughts revolved around her death.

It could come at any second.

And she wouldn't even know until it was upon her.

Enough of this bullshit, she was getting out of here. Today.

She tested the darkness; it seemed just as strong as any other day.

But she was growing stronger, too.

She visualized her muscled arms under the darkness, pushing it up and away forever.

It helped.

Slowly, she moved it inch by inch, sweating under the exertion.

She was almost there, but her imagined arms were starting to tire.

_No! I'm not going back!_ She yelled and slammed against the darkness with all that she had, with every will that she had to live.

She sat back breathing deeply.

The imaginary arms were giving her the thumbs up.

She opened her eyes, tested her arms and legs.

She started to cry.

She made it, she did it.

She was awake.


	17. A Rough Start

**Keep the comments coming!! :]**

**I don't think I like this chapter, but bear with me, the next ones will be better. I promise. And I know I've left some things out, but I'll be sure to include it in the next chapter.**

**School has started again and I'm not feeling that well, so I'll try to keep them coming as fast I can.**

**********

Patrick burst through the room, followed by two interns to see Sam sitting, awake and confused in the bed.

"Patrick." she tried to say, but her voice was cracked and dry from awhile without use.

"Sam, don't move, I want to check you out."

He sidled up closer, shining a light in her eye to check her pupils and her reaction time. "This is great." he said, handing her a glass of water.

She gulped it down greedily.

"Claire, please call Sam's family and let them know that she is awake." Patrick directed.

A pretty blonde exited the room. Sam smiled. She felt as if she and Claire had been friends for a long time. She had pictured her perfectly.

"Sam, I want to run a series of tests…" he said, turning to head out the door.

Sam grabbed his sleeve. He turned back to her.

"I need to get out of here." she said in a hollow voice, sounding very unlike her own.

"In good time. You just woke up from a coma, you need to remain in the hospital for a week or two." he replied, gently unclasping her hands form his lab coat.

"You don't understand, I need to get out of here!" she said more urgently, her voice rising.

"Sam, we need to do the tests. You need to take it easy."

"He's coming for me! He's coming for me!" she started screaming, over and over again, as the glass slipped from her hands, shattering on the floor. She clutched at her head, scratching at her face and screaming.

"Please, let me out!" she said, her chest heaving with sobs. She tried to get out of the bed, bringing the machines attached to her with her, but her legs gave out.

Patrick rushed to her side, trying to get her back in the bed, as the glass crunched below. He winced as he saw that her bare feet and legs were bloodied.

She fought him, scratching at his arms and face, even drawing blood.

"I need a nurse! Get me something to sedate her with!" Patrick cried to the interns who seemed frozen with shock.

Robin and another nurse hurried in moments later, Robin holding a needle. They stared opened mouthed in shock at the scene before them. They looked at Sam who was screaming her head off.

Robin passed the needle to Patrick, who jammed it into Sam's upper arm.

The effect was almost immediate.

She sagged in his arms, her eyelids drooping, but she fought against the sleep threatening to overpower her. To her, sleep meant death.

"Please listen to me." Sam whispered hoarsely. "He's coming to kill me. Please, save me."

"Who's coming for you, Sam?" Patrick tried asking, but she was already gone.

* * *

After Patrick had made sure Sam was sedated properly, he made his way to the lockers. He needed to process what had just happened.

When he got in, he leaned over to the sink, splashing water on his face. What just happened with Sam had affected him in a way he couldn't explain. She seemed genuinely frightened for her life.

He gathered a pool of water in his hands and threw it in his face, as if he could wash away what he had just seen.

He closed his eyes and stayed suspended over the sink, listening to water drip from his face.

"She got you pretty good, huh?"

Patrick opened his eyes at the sound of Robin's voice.

He saw that blood was also dripping down his face, giving the water a reddish tint.

His hands went up to his face and he saw scratches on his arms, too.

"Here let me help you." Robin said, grabbing a paper towel and running it under some water.

Patrick sat down on the front of the lockers as Robin lightly pressed the paper towel to his wounds.

"So what happened with Sam?" she asked.

He winced.

"Well, its good she woke up isn't it?" Robin asked, sitting cross-legged beside Patrick on the bench.

"Of course it's good she woke up…" he sighed. "I can't explain what just happened back there. I mean, I've heard of people who wake up from their coma's disoriented and scared. But I got close to her. There was real fear in her eyes, Robin." he got up and leaned against the lockers.

Robin remained seated. "Think it could have something to do with her accident? Maybe more happened than we know. Or someone threatened her while she was in her coma and she heard. We can ask her when she calms down."

"Or maybe I botched the surgery. And maybe ShadyBrook's her only other option."

"Well, I doubt that. We can start her on therapy and if she doesn't get better, we can consider ShadyBrook. But I think, if she feels that her life is in danger, she is."

"Oh, no." Patrick said, turning to Robin. "You're not going to investigate anything anymore are you? Not after the Andrea Floyd thing. You promised."

"I know, I know. But we have to find out what's going on." Robin persisted.

"And we will. Maybe the tests will tell us something. I'm going to go order them." Patrick said.

"Me, too. Want some help with those tests?"

"Do I have a choice?" he smirked.

"No, not really." Robin said, glad she could make him smile.

"Oh, Robin, can you tell Claire to tell Sam's family that they can visit tomorrow? I know they will probably hate me for that, but it's really better for everyone."

"Sure." she said, and went to the front desk where Claire was already on the phone.

"Alright, let's start these tests."

* * *

Sam came conscious a couple of times, but only barely.

She remembered being prodded and bright lights, before falling back into La La Land.

This darkness was not as suffocating as the coma's, but it was still holding her back, giving the psycho killer another chance to knock her off.

The next time Sam opened her eyes for real, she was alone.

She didn't know if she should be grateful or terrified.

She relaxed into the pillows, reviewing her past actions.

_Probably not the smartest way to have handled things._ She thought. _They probably think I'm a nut job._

And they should, after the commotion she just caused. She was scared for her life, still scared for her life, they have to understand that.

She wanted to get out of the bed and work her tired leg muscles, hoping that they would be strong enough for her to run if she needed.

Every time she moved, though, pain rippled across her lower legs and her feet felt bandaged.

She threw back the covers, gasping at her raw legs and wrapped up feet. She remembered the glass of water; it had fallen on the floor. She must have fallen on it when she tried to get up.

Well that was just great. She sighed, exasperated.

She seriously needed to calm down though. There was no way she was going to get out of here if she kept acting like a mental patient. That was a way to get her a sure ticket into ShadyBrook.

She took deep cleansing breaths, as she had seen her mother do many times before.

She turned her mind from ShadyBrook and psycho killers to Jason and Lucky.

Jason hadn't mentioned anything about telling her he loved her in his recent visits, whereas Lucky couldn't express how much he felt for her.

She didn't want to love Jason anymore. It was too painful. And she wished she could have a life with Lucky.

But Jason, as always, rudely pushed back into her life, and it was as if nothing had ever happened between them.

But things_ had _happened, and she couldn't forget the broken heart she had, and he couldn't forget her watching Jake get kidnapped.

So how did they keep finding each other?

Well, that was it. She couldn't let this go on. She wanted Lucky, not Jason. She wanted to be happy, not hurt.

Yet, tears still sprung to her eyes.

She sniffled, glancing out the window.

It was a bright day, and she could see a light coating of left over snow draped over the buildings of Port Charles. She never bothered to see how gorgeous the city was. But it was.

Her eyes left the window at the sound of her door squeaking open.

Sam gasped, and turned her eyes to the door.

It was Claire.

Sam must have looked like a deer caught in headlights, because Claire held up her hands in a surrender kind of motion.

"Hey, sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." she walked over to the bed. "I'm Claire; I have been taking care of you while you were in the coma."

"It's finally nice to meet you." Sam said, with a genuine smile. She didn't seem all freaked out around her, so she must not have been around for the whole spazzing thing. But surely she would have heard about it….

"So, how are you feeling?" Claire asked, sitting in a comfy chair across the room.

"Well…weird I guess. I'm not really sure what I'm feeling now. A whole bunch of different things." Sam answered honestly.

"Well, that's probably to be expected. Dr. Drake should be in in a half hour or so. He wants to talk to you about the test results, and other issues. He told me your family could come and visit tomorrow, but I could see if he will let them in tonight. When I talked to them on the phone, they seemed really eager to see you."

Sam couldn't help it; she winced at the mention of Patrick. She roughed him up pretty bad. Plus, he could be the one to lock her away for the rest of her days in a mental hospital. And good old Claire, still a chatterbox.

"That would be nice Claire, thanks." Sam was surprised that Claire hadn't asked what it had been like being in a coma, but being able to hear and move, though limited. It was probably out of respect, and Sam appreciated it.

"Well…do you want to open up some of your Christmas presents? It must get boring in here, and maybe you got something you can occupy yourself with."

Sam nodded eagerly, a sucker for presents.

Claire handed Sam each one, not complaining when she fumbled with her hands. She "oohed" and "aahed" at the right moments. Sam felt as if they had been friends for years. They were halfway done when Patrick walked in.

He couldn't help smiling at Sam, now acting normal and excited over her new things. He didn't know how long the happiness and excitement would last. Coma patients could sometimes go into a depression or something to that effect. And he was worried what with Sam's earlier reaction…But they were going to start her on therapy as soon as possible.

"Sam, I'm glad to see you finally opening those Christmas presents. I knew you couldn't resist them for long."

Sam offered him a small smile, then she looked at his face. She must have seen the scratches she left, because she looked away quickly, with a guilty, frightened look in her eyes. Good thing his lab coat had long sleeves.

She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, then changed her mind and closed it into a tight line, looking down at her hands, which she was wringing them.

Patrick cleared his throat against the awkwardness in the room. "Claire, would you mind going to take care of some other business while I speak to Ms. McCall here?"

"No problem." She got up from her seat after biding Sam goodbye and left the room.

"Alright, while we had you sedated, we took the tests, and you seem as good as new. There is still chance of a relapse, so we are going to keep you here just in case, and also, so you can build up your strength."

"Well that's good." She said, though she never quite met him in the eye.

She sighed, "Patrick about earlier I-"

"It's okay, but would you mind telling me what happened?" he asked curiously, setting down his chart and sitting at the edge of her bed.

Sam opened her mouth to explain everything; calmly, rationally; then changed her mind. She didn't need them thinking she was a lunatic. The only thing that would get her was a sure ticket to ShadyBrook and what she really needed was to get out of here and tell someone.

Patrick was looking at her expectantly.

"Oh…well I …" she hesitated before trying to explain. "I'm not really sure." She lied smoothly, looking down at her hands again, portraying what she hoped was a confused, stressed, in need of help, un-coma patient.

"I mean, I'm not sure what came over me. I had just woken up from the coma, and I had to fight to get out of it. I guess it put a lot of strain on me. I honestly don't know. I'm sorry about, um...you know." She said, gesturing at his face.

She peered through her wet eyelashes, hoping he would buy this half-charade.

He had a troubling look in his eyes, and she hated herself for doing this, but she had to. She had to get out. No matter what.

"Sam, I…" He threw back his emotions and went into doctor mode. "Well we are going to set you up for some therapy as soon as we can. We will let you rest for a few days though. And you family and friends are dying to see you, so I'll let them come see you tomorrow. Alright?" he asked.

Sam sniffled, playing the act for all it was worth. Which wasn't really that hard, but still. "Yes, thank you so much."

He patted her arm, standing up. "Would you like Claire to come back in or something? I don't want you to be alone if you don't want to." He asked, heading for the door, almost forgetting his clipboard.

"Um…send her in maybe in like 10 minutes, if you wouldn't mind. I think I want to be alone for a little while." She looked down again and flushed.

"That's fine, maybe you should rest anyway." He exited the room without anything more to say.

She exhaled a sigh of relief. She was pretty sure Patrick was buying the whole sympathy act thing. She just needed to keep it up for a week or two maybe…

She leaned back in the fluffy pillows, drowsiness coming to her unexpectedly. She didn't really want to rest; she was afraid of the nightmares. She didn't really want to be alone either. Being alone meant danger, from either the killer or her thoughts, which were equally as bad.

Jason's face swam into mind, but this time she just pushed it away.

_Maybe sleep is best. _She thought, yawning.

She closed her eyes, almost reluctantly, and tried to rest.

**********

Alexis set down the phone with tears in her eyes. She had to sit down on the couch, for her legs had turned to mush.

Molly skipped down the stairs loudly, hoping her mom would drive her to the library; she was in need of a new book. Rather, she was feeling lonely and she turned to books to help her.

She skidded to a stop when she saw her Mom with tears streaming down her face.

"Mom, what's wrong?" she rushed to her side, an icy feeling running through her veins. There was so much going on, what could have possibly gone wrong this time?

"Oh baby, its wonderful news!" Alexis exclaimed, trying but failing to wipe away the tears.

"Is it Sam, or Kristina?" Molly brightened.

"It's Sam. She woke up." She whispered, not quite believing it herself.

"When can we go see her?! This is awesome." Molly said, giving a dance of delight. Alexis couldn't help but giggle. "I'm going to go tell-"

Molly stopped midsentence, her foot raised halfway as she was going to make her way up the stairs. She was going to say she was going to tell Kristina, but she had momentarily forgotten that Kristina had left. Left her Mom, left her home, most importantly, left _her._

"So can we go see her now?" Molly said, some of the enthusiasm gone as she was brought back to reality.

"No not today, they are running tests today. But tomorrow we can spend the whole day with her." Alexis gave her a weak smile.

"Okay, well, I'm going to go do some homework or something." Molly said, mounting the stairs.

The library trip was forgotten. All she could think about was how her family was falling apart, and she could do nothing to stop it.

**********

Lulu was on her way to go see Carly. She had wanted to go earlier, but for weeks she kept getting hung up at work. Now she finally had some free time, so she was heading over there.

She walked, hoping the late January breeze would open up her mind. She needed to clear her head. And what better way to do that then go see her cousin, who helped her with all her guy problems.

Her feet crunched on some left over snow as she walked, and she couldn't help but think to herself that she couldn't wait for it to be summer. She and Dominic could go to more places and maybe even go on a trip….

She stopped her thoughts there. It wasn't as if they were _married._ She just needed to cool it; she had just finally admitted that they were dating a little over a month or so.

She was glad that Ronnie had kept him on the case so he could stay in town, but she was scared for him and for Sonny and his family. She sighed, kicking at a rock, and watching it bounce ahead of her. She was going to sit down and have a talk with Dominic about this.

She was approaching Carly's house. She looked both ways and then swiftly crossed the street, her hand bag swinging and her heels clacking.

She was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't notice the familiar car coming down the road. And she didn't notice when the driver stopped and stared at her. If only she had noticed…

Johnny was heading back to his apartment from grocery shopping. Now that Claudia was staying at the house, he had been going through a lot more food. He barely ate when he was alone, and now Claudia insisted on cooking him a meal.

He was not expecting to see her.

He slammed on the brakes, more out of surprise then he was afraid he was going to hit her. She didn't even notice.

He couldn't help but watch, unnoticed, as her lithe form practically danced across the street. Her designer bag, swinging lightly on her arm, her hair flowing back behind her as she walked quickly. She had a confused look on her face.

She was headed to Carly's he could tell. He knew exactly what route she would take home. Through the park. They used to meet up there all the time, mostly by accident. He could meet her there now…

No.

He jerked the car into motion, so swiftly the tires screeched. He didn't look back to see if she had noticed.

He couldn't even go out to the store without being haunted by either memories of her, or her actual presence.

_Screw this._ He thought to himself. He would forget about her, and focus on Claudia. She had come back because she loved him. She was all he needed.

Or so he told himself, as he sped down the street, daring a cop to catch him.

Lulu knocked on the majestic front door. Every time she came here, she couldn't help but compare this mansion with her and Maxie's cramped shared apartment. Still, at least she had a place to live. She cocked her head to the side as she waited for Carly to answer.

Instead of Carly, Michael opened the door.

"Oh, hey Michael." Lulu said, shedding her coat and bag, and walking inside. "Is your Mom home?"

"Here let me take your coat." He said, hanging up her coat in the closet by the door.

"Thanks." She said smiling at him, as she peered in the mirror in the hall to fix her windblown hair.

"I'm in here Lulu!" she heard Carly call from in the living room.

"Coming!" she called back, her voice echoing inside the vast hall. She walked through the doorway into the living room. Michael followed behind.

"Hey Carly." Lulu said, as she caught sight of Carly on the couch, snuggled under a blanket. Morgan was sitting on the smaller seat across from her. Lulu could catch the barest glimpse of soft baby skin beneath the blanket.

"Hi, sorry I wasn't expecting you." Carly said, gesturing at herself.

"Oh, no it's fine. I should have called. I finally caught a break at work and I thought I would drop by." She said, meeting Carly's eye as she sat down beside her on the couch. Carly nodded, the look passed between them understood.

Michael had paused in the doorway, leaning against the frame and watched.

"Say hello to your cousin Josslyn." Carly said, pulling down the blanket and allowing the baby's head to show.

"Oh my god, she is so adorable!" Lulu crooned softly. "She is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen." She said.

"Here, why don't you hold her, my arms are getting tired, and I think it's pretty clear she isn't going down for a nap." Carly shifted n the couch so Lulu could take Josslyn.

Josslyn was so soft in her arms. Her small baby hands gripped hers with iron strength. She looked up at Lulu with big blue eyes, and smiled. Lulu smiled back, all her problems forgotten.

She walked around the room, bouncing her lightly as she rubbed the peach fuzz on top of her head. Holding Josslyn made her think of the baby she gave up with Dylan.

_That was different, I was too young._ She thought to herself. Still too young, she added. Still, holding this baby, so innocent and pure, made her hate herself for getting that abortion.

Carly cleared her throat. "Boys, why don't you go play upstairs or something?" Carly said, but the boys weren't fooled.

"If you just want to get rid of us Mom, just say so." Michael chuckled.

"Yeah Mom." Morgan said, sticking his tongue out at her. Carly returned the gesture.

"Michael? Will you drive me to the store or something?" Morgan asked, knowing he would be bored upstairs.

Michael looked at his Mom to make sure it was okay. "Sure. Let's go."

Morgan jumped of the couch and walked out to the hall to grab his coat.

_Thanks Michael. _Carly mouthed at her eldest son. He nodded. "You ready Morgan?"

"Yup!" he called, coming back into the room with his jacket on. "Let's go."

"Hey come over here and give your Mom a kiss." Carly said, standing up from the couch and pulling Morgan into a hug.

"Aw, Mom!" Morgan protested. Lulu chuckled to herself.

"Love you both." She said, walking them to the door.

Michael grabbed his keys off the side table. "Love you too." They said back in unison.

She closed the door behind them.

She walked back into the living room. Lulu was perched on the wide windowsill, humming softly to Josslyn. She looked up as Carly approached.

"Here, why don't you put her in the bassinet?" Carly said, gesturing to the delicate little crib covered in lace beside the couch.

Lulu walked over and gently laid Josslyn down, whose eyelids looked like they weighed a ton. A few minutes later and she was snoring lightly.

"Finally! I thought she would never go down. Thanks." She said to Lulu, sitting down beside her on the couch. "Now you can tell me what's wrong." She said, looking at Lulu expectantly.

Lulu sighed. "It's Dominic."

"I could have figured that. Care to go a little more in depth?"

Lulu didn't even smile at the attempt at joking. "I don't know. Sometimes I want more to happen between us, but at the same time, I don't know if I want to be with him as much. My feelings are so conflicting. I still think Johnny has me all screwed up."

Carly's face screwed up in thought.

"Well, answer me this. Do you like Dominic? At all?" Carly asked.

"Well, yeah. Almost as much as…" she trailed off.

"As much as you loved Johnny?" Carly finished softly.

Tears blurred Lulu's vision, before she brushed them away.

"Sometimes I feel like I love him more than I ever loved Johnny." Lulu admitted in a whisper.

"Wow." Carly said, pretending not to notice Lulu's tears.

"But it's not like I would tell him that." Lulu continued. "I mean I know he likes me, I just don't know how much. I don't want to scare him away."

"Have you guys had sex yet?" Carly asked with a smile.

Lulu returned a smirk. "Well, we've gotten close." She said, the smirk growing into a wide smile.

"Oooooh!" Carly hooted.

Lulu laughed. "Oh, shut up!" Lulu whacked her lightly on the arm.

They both quieted their laughter when Josslyn stirred beside them. When their giggles subsided, Lulu asked. "So what should I do?"

Carly sat back on the couch again. "Well, I think you guys need to have a long talk about how you feel about each other. That way, you know where you guys stand. I think it will make you guys closer. Then you can finally have that sex, that I'm sure is going to be mind blowing."

Lulu opened her mouth in shock. She closed it and said, "I guess you're right. You make everything seem so simple. How come I couldn't have just thought of that by myself?" she whined.

Carly laughed again. "Because I am your genius of a cousin." She winked.

Lulu smiled back at her. Looking down at her hands, she caught sight of the time on her cell phone.

"Shit!" she exclaimed. "I have to get back to work!" she jumped off the couch and practically sprinted to the closet. She jammed her arms into the sleeves and grabbed her purse off the ground.

Carly had followed her into the hall and was watching her with an amused expression on her face. "Slow down. You're giving me a headache just watching you."

"Maxie will kill me if I'm late." She said, giving Carly a quick hug. "Give Josslyn a kiss for me."

Carly smiled. "I will." She caught Lulu's arm as she made her way out the door. "Call Dominic on your way back to the office."

"Good idea. Thanks. See you." She stepped over the threshold. The air was growing warmer, though it still had a briskness about it.

She made it to the sidewalk and turned around to look at Carly. She looked at her and waved, then the door closed.

Lulu pulled out her cell phone after she crossed the street. As it was ringing, she decided she wanted to take the old route she always took, through the park.

She changed her direction as she waited for him to answer.


	18. Help!

**Alright, Johnny lovers are going to HATE me for these couple more chapters to come, and I apologize in advance for that. Please don't stop reading.  
And be sure to comment even if you hate what's coming.**

**Thanks my loyal readers. 333**

**********

Jason was at Sonny's house, talking business when the call came.

Sonny was in a middle of a sentence, but Jason held up a hand to quiet him.

Not bothering to check the caller ID, Jason flipped open the phone. "Jason Morgan."

"Jason, its Alexis."

Jason's heart immediately picked up pace. He got off the couch, setting his drink in the table. He gestured to Sonny, telling him he would be back in a minute. Sonny, who hated being interrupted, nodded tersely.

Jason walked out the door and stood in the hallway, making sure Sonny wouldn't be able to listen in.

"Alexis, what is it? What happened to Sam?" Jason said quietly, fervently. "Is she okay?"

"Jason, please calm down. It's actually wonderful news."

Still, Jason's heart refused to slow down. He took a deep breath.

"Has she gotten any better?" he inquired, wishing Alexis would just get to the point.

"Better. Jason, Sam woke up!"

"WH-What?" Jason's world spun, this time in disbelief.

"It's true; the doctor's just called me today. I would already have been over there, but they told me that I couldn't see her today. I'll take Molly tomorrow. I already called Lucky…"

Jason had stopped listening to Alexis babble on. His heart swelled to his maximum and though he hated it, tears pricked behind his eyes. One lonely, joyful tear slipped down his cheek. His legs had turned to mush and he sank down onto the cold ground. His body shuddered and it seemed to drop 20 degrees.

He remembered thinking; _this is what relief for someone you love feels like. _

"Jason are you there?" Alexis asked, her voice still ringing with happiness.

He cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. Thanks for calling. I'll go see her tomorrow if that's alright."

"That would be great, I'm sure she is dying to see you."

"I don't want to intrude with you or Lucky's time with her."

"Please, it will be fine. Or if you want, go see her at night. It doesn't matter. I'm just so happy she is awake!" her voice was so cheerful, so hopeful, words couldn't describe what she felt right now. "I wish Krissy was here to see her." She said, remorse leaking into her voice.

"I'm really sorry. Thank you for calling. See you later." Jason said before quickly hanging up.

His whole body was still numb, but the feeling he had for Sam right now was so strong. He wasn't sure if he could go back in there and face Sonny. He wasn't sure if he could move.

He sat there, staring into space, reveling in this glorious news.

Somehow, his body returned to him, and he was able to think again. He sent a quick text to Spinelli, letting him know the news and that he should tell Maxie.

He sighed, standing up and brushing off his jeans. He slipped the phone back in his pocket. He couldn't go see her today, and that alone was torture. But now, having to go discuss business with Sonny made it ten times worse.

He knew he had to go in there though, and explain all that just happened to Sonny, but he didn't want to. He wanted to keep this all to himself.

What he wanted was to take a ride.

He walked outside and was met with bright sunshine. It seemed fitted that it would be sunny, seeing as that was how he felt.

"Max, Milo. When Sonny asks where I went, just tell him I needed to do something alright?"

"Sure Mr. Morgan." Max answered and Milo nodded in agreement.

"Thanks." He said, pulling his keys out of his pocket and jogging around to the side of the house.

His motorcycle gleamed in the sun.

He hopped on, shoving the keys into the ignition. He revved the bike, feeling himself relax at the sound. He could almost hear Sam nagging him to put on his helmet, feel her hands tightening around his waist as the hurtled down the road, her laughter echoing pleasantly in his head. He always answered her, what is the point, I'm already brain damaged. She always whacked him playfully before they got on their way.

He missed those times.

Hopefully soon, they could have them again.

He backed the bike up, and, revving it one more time, he sped off into the distance, heading who knows where.

**********

A shadowy figure hugged the edge of the building as he made his way back to his house, if it could even be called a house.

He was heading back from spying on Alexis. He had learned some valuable information. Information that he had been waiting a month and a half for.

_Sam had woken up._

He almost couldn't stifle the dark chuckle that threatened to escape his smirking lips.

No one had noticed him yet. No one. And he hoped to keep it that way.

He was dressed all in black and moved quickly without a sound. He practically blended in with the world around him, which made it all the easier for spying on the lousy citizens of Port Charles without their knowledge.

He reached his destination. He turned the knob with a gloved hand. It opened without a creek. He never kept his door locked; secretly loving the fact that anyone at anytime could come in and take his life away.

It gave him a thrill he couldn't quite explain.

He walked around his small abode. He didn't even have the proper living equipment, but that was insignificant.

He walked over and pulled open a drawer. It was filled with a countless number of knives. He pulled out a long thin one, running his hand lightly over the tip.

He had all he needed. He would act soon.

Soon he would get his revenge.

And he wouldn't enjoy anything quite as much.

**********

"Hey Morgan?" Michael asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the road as his brother munched on some Smart Food popcorn that he had bought at the store.

"Yeah?" he replied between mouthfuls.

"Want to stop by dads?"

Morgan went silent beside him. He swallowed the popcorn in his mouth.

Michael looked at him for a quick second and Morgan met his eye.

"Mom doesn't really want us over there. And you know that." He said, trying to think of a better reason why they shouldn't go over.

"Oh, come on Morgan. I know you hate staying away from dad as much as I do." He said, coming to a stop at a red light.

Going left would take them to their dad's. Going right would take them by the pier, and then to rightful home, with their Mom and Jax.

"Yeah, I do." He admitted quietly. "But that doesn't mean we should disobey Mom." He tried to reason with Michael, but he wasn't even fooling himself.

Michael put on his blinker.

Morgan didn't say anything.

The light turned green.

They went left, heading to spend some long awaited time with their mob boss father.

They traveled down the road for only a few minutes before the huge estate came into sight.

Michael pulled into the long driveway, and waited as Morgan rolled up the popcorn bag. They looked at each other, their emotions mimicking each others; hope, nervousness, and excitement.

They stepped out of the car, and looked up at the house, squinting their eyes against the harsh sunlight. It seemed like spring was coming sooner than usual.

Max and Milo looked at them, confused as they made their way to the front door.

"What are you guys doing here? I thought you weren't allowed…"

Michael made a shushing kind of gesture. "Let's just keep this our little secret." He said, and pushed past them and into the Corinthos residence.

Morgan shrugged apologetically at the guards that he had been around his whole life before following his brother inside.

Michael held up a hand, quieting Morgan, and he made his way to the slightly open door, where his father was. He could hear him talking on his cell phone. He sounded irritated. It probably had something to do with the business.

Michael listened. No matter how much his father told him he wasn't going to be in the business, he always wanted to be pulled in, always wanting to be a part of it.

Listening to his dad, he found out that Jason had skipped out on some sort of meeting. Kind of boring actually.

He threw open the doors with a bang, causing his father's head to turn abruptly.

"Hi Dad!" Morgan exclaimed, not seeing he was on the phone.

"Uh, Bernie, I'm going to have to call you back." Sonny said in a quieter voice. He hung up, slamming the phone on the counter in front of him.

"How much did you hear?" he asked, pouring himself a drink and looking at Michael.

"Not much." Michael said, shrugging indifferently and flinging himself on the couch. "Good to see you too."

Sonny snapped out of business mode and into father mode. "Morgan come here, I haven't seen you two in forever."

Morgan ran into his father's arms. "I swear, you've grown since the last time I saw you." Sonny said, measuring Morgan with his hand.

"Geez Dad, it hasn't been _that_ long." Morgan said, and Sonny ruffled his hair.

"How did you get permission from your mother to come and see me?" Sonny asked, slouching on a chair, drink sloshing.

Morgan and Michael locked eyes uneasily.

In the moment of silence that passed, Sonny knew that they hadn't gotten permission.

"You guys shouldn't be here. Especially now that your mother has no clue where you are." Sonny reprimanded, sitting up.

"Well, she thinks we are at the store. Well technically, we did go to the store. See? I bought popcorn." Morgan held up the half eaten bag of Smart Food.

Sonny couldn't help but chuckle at Morgan. "Well, I'm still going to call your mother so she knows where you are. I'll make sure she lets you guys stay, at least for a little while."

Sonny winked at his boys before exiting the room, cell phone in hand.

Michael sighed, looking at Morgan, who just shrugged, and sat down to eat the rest of his popcorn.

Michael was starting to think that coming here wasn't such a good idea.

**********

_This was the stupidest idea EVER. _Kristina thought to herself as she trudged tiredly across the rugged landscape.

Running away had NOT been one of her smartest ideas.

She wasn't even sure how long she had been gone. She should have added calendar to her list of things to bring. The pack, which had seemed so light on the day she had bought it, now seemed to weigh her down.

Good thing it was durable though. She had been in everything from rain to snow to sunshine, and it had held through. She hadn't gotten a decent sleep yet.

She always walked by the road, hoping to get a ride form a passing stranger.

Thankfully, she wasn't starting to sport a huge belly yet, though she had to pee. A lot. Plus she was having weird cravings, which, when she ate, made her puke. She hadn't puked so much in her life.

She groaned, setting the pack on the ground, and plopping down on top of it.

She buried her face in her hands, feeling so alone.

She knew she was dirty and that she smelled, and she didn't really care. She wanted to go home. But she didn't even know where she was.

Woods surrounded her on one side, the road on the other. She hadn't been under a roof since she left home. She was tired and hungry and in need of cash and a shower. She had only the money she took out of the ATM before going on this hell trip. She didn't want Spinelli or the police tracking her.

She sat there, thinking of her Mom and Molly, who probably missed her so much and of Sam. She wondered if she had woken up.

Tears streamed down her face, leaving clean streaks on her dirt caked cheeks.

_It's better this way. _She reminded herself. She had been telling herself from the start, and it's what kept her going, what kept her from turning around and going home.

She brushed away the tears, leaving more mud streaks on her face, which she promptly ignored.

Hitchhiking was getting her nowhere, so she decided to go through the woods, and see where she found herself on the other side.

She hitched up the pack, and took a deep breath before trudging into the brush.

_Hope there isn't any poison ivy. _She thought, feeling small in the huge wood.

It was so silent in the woods, making her feel even more alone. It was as if the silence was mocking her.

She looked around her, but all she could see was green, with the occasional brown. It felt suffocating.

Her breath started to come in gasps. And she had to stop and sit on a moss covered rock in order not to pass out. She needed to calm down.

But all she could think about, sitting here alone, was all the horror stories that happened in the woods, all the people that died, and weren't found till years later.

She gulped, swallowing a seemingly impossible task at the moment.

She sat there for awhile, trying to calm herself.

She rested her hand on her stomach, as if to remind herself that she wasn't really alone, and that she didn't have only herself to protect.

"Don't worry baby, Mommy won't let anything bad happen to you."

Kristina closed her mouth, and realized how weird that sounded, coming from her own mouth.

She was calm now, so she picked herself up and continued walking.

She still felt alone, so she hummed softly to herself, figuring the baby would like it too. She wondered where she was, if she was even still in New York.

It seemed much warmer in this green colored world. She paused again, this time to take off one of her sweatshirts. She needed to wash some of these clothes too.

She wasn't sure what she would do once she reached the other side of this place. Probably find a house, she reasoned, and knock door to door, asking for a place to stay. She certainly couldn't afford a hotel.

She put a new spring in her step, feeling some sort of hope. Things would work itself out, she reassured herself. They would.

After she got bored with humming, Kristina began talking to her baby.

"You know, if you're a girl, I want to name you Hope. It's not like your father would care." She scoffed. "I don't know why I ever got mixed up with him in the first place. He was just an abusing little…Well we won't even go there." She chuckled to herself.

Her stomach growled.

"I know baby, I'll get you and me something good to eat soon."

She plunged on, only stopping to rest a few times, taking the occasional sip of water from the overbearing pack. She sweated pretty badly, even when she shed a few layers of her heavy clothing.

She noticed different animal sounds, and made a game out of them, trying to pretend that she wasn't scared of being in the woods by herself all alone. She told her baby all the different things she saw, and all the animal noises.

Kristina was strong, but she was only human. A 16 your old girl at that.

She collapsed on the leaf covered floor, laying down, and closing her eyes. She had exerted so much energy and she just couldn't go on anymore.

Not that staying in the woods all night gave her a good feeling.

She could feel leaves sticking in her hair, but she didn't get up. She had long past cared what she looked like.

As she lay there, she contemplated what she should do. She groggily opened her eyes, but stayed lying down. She wasn't sure what to do.

She figured she would have to keep going, she couldn't stay here with barely anything to eat. She needed to go get some more food.

She was so hungry. So hungry, that she imagined she could smell smoke. It made her stomach growl. It seemed so loud in her ears, and she clutched at her stomach to stop it.

She sniffed at the air again. There it was, smoke. She wasn't imagining it.

She shot up, scattering leaves every which way.

She smelled it straight ahead. Where there is smoke, there is usually, a house.

She got up and grabbed the pack. She stumbled through the woods, as if in a daze. Her face was mauled by twigs, and once or twice she fell on her knees. But she kept going, this was her only hope.

She was almost there…

She pushed through some bushes, and found herself looking at a little cabin. Smoke was indeed coming out from the chimney.

A little boy was playing in what was probably supposed to be the front yard.

He squealed when he saw her, and dropped the ball he was playing with.

Kristina couldn't hold herself up anymore. She was dehydrated and starving. She passed out on the dirt floor with a thud.

**********

Johnny had been sneaking drinks since he had returned home with the groceries. If Claudia had seen how much he had really drunk, she might have thrown out all the bottles of liquor and sent him to bed.

But since she hadn't noticed, and Johnny was getting better at hiding how drunk he was, he passed unnoticed.

But, no matter how much liquor he consumed, he couldn't get her out of his head.

Claudia was cooking something in the kitchen. He had to admit, it smelled pretty good, but he wasn't hungry.

Well, he wasn't hungry for food that is…

Her body made itself visible, clear as day in his mind. He could picture his hands running down her freckled shoulders, her hands running through his hair as they kissed passionately.

This was too much for him.

He grabbed the nearest unopened bottle of scotch and started guzzling. The stinging alcohol ran down his chin and burned his throat.

"John, you okay in there?" Claudia called from the kitchen.

The only answer he gave was grabbing his keys and slamming the door behind him.

**********

Dominic's phone rang loudly, making him jump and making a few customers at Kelly's look over.

He gave them all an apologetic look as he answered his phone.

"Dominic Pirelli." He said.

"Dominic, hey." Lulu's sweet voice flooded his ears.

"Lulu." He said, his tone growing softer. "I thought you were at work?" he asked her. He was aware that he was attracting attention, so he waved goodbye to Mike, and threw down a couple bills before making his way out the door.

"Yeah, I got a little break, and I went to go see Carly. I needed to talk to her." She sounded breathless.

"Are you okay?" he asked concerned.

"Oh, yeah. I was just…confused before. But I want to talk to you. So maybe you can come over sometime tonight?" she asked, biting her lip, hopeful.

"Hmm, let me think…" he hesitated, knowing he had nothing to do, but liked teasing her. "Yeah, looks clear. I always got time for you."

"Good." She chuckled. "My place or yours?" she asked.

"Why don't you come here?" he asked.

"Fine by me." She said. He heard a car rush by on her side of the phone.

"Are you walking? Why didn't you call me for a ride or something?" he asked, worried.

"Hey, walking is good exercise." She said, smiling, glad he cared. She had a good feeling their conversation later tonight would end well. Maybe she would even tell him what she told Carly.

"It's getting dark Lulu, you have to be careful." Dominic said, forehead creased with worry. "You don't know what kind of lunatics are out there."

"I'll be okay, I promise. I'm almost at work. I'm just walking through the park. Besides, I'm a Spencer, I can take care of myself."

He groaned. "Please, call me if you need anything."

"Alright, I will thanks." She said, clutching the phone to her ear, hoping he would say the words she was longing to here.

"See you later." He said, praying she might say more.

"Bye." She said quietly, her finger lingering on the end button.

Silence followed.

"Love you." Dominic whispered, but the line had already been disconnected.

"Love you." Lulu, said, disappointment flooding her mind, but no one was on the other line to hear her.

**********

Johnny sped recklessly down the road. He wasn't sure if Claudia would be following him, but he assumed not. There was only one car, and he was in it. Though the way he was driving, it may be damaged soon.

He barely dodged out of the way of a Mac truck, heading straight for him, and he swerved back into the right lane at the last possible second. He had opened the window all the way and was letting the wind whip his hair furiously around.

He wasn't really sure where his destination was. For now, he was just loving the feeling of being free.

He almost felt bad for ditching out on Claudia's dinner. She would be disappointed, but he would make it up to her.

Lulu popped into his head, unwanted. She seemed to smile at him, evilly, knowing the torture she put him through on a daily basis. She winked at him, in his mind, and he screamed, letting the fury and sorrow seep into his voice. He was thankfully drowned out by the wind.

He turned, tires squealing.

He knew where his destination was now. He hoped he made it there alive.

**********

Lulu shivered. As the sun went down, it got cooler. She wasn't sure if it was the excitement of seeing Dominic tonight, or if it was actually the cold. Probably both.

She was halfway through the park, her favorite spot. There was a bench, and it was the best place to see stars probably in all of New York. It was one of the only places to escape the rush of the city and the harsh lights that blocked out the stars. She wanted to bring Dominic here someday.

She sighed, wishing she could stay and sit on the bench for awhile. But if she was any later then she was, Maxie was going to kick her ass.

She looked up at the stars one last time, and while she looked up, she closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for her and Dominic.

_Hey God, I know I don't usually pray, so I wouldn't be surprised if you ignored me completely. But, I really like Dominic, and I want things to go well with him, and since he is a cop and all, I don't think he is a bad choice. I think I love him, but please, show me some guidance. Uh, thanks._

She opened her eyes as she heard a twig snap behind her.

But it was too late…

Someone's strong hands wrapped around her mouth, and they breathed heavily in her ear. She didn't even think to reach for her cell phone. She tried struggling, but it was no use. She was rendered helpless. She couldn't even think.

The person, who grabbed her, slowly started dragging her into the bushes, concealing them completely.

**A/N: Ta-daaaaaaaaa! Don't forget, I love your reviews. ;]**


	19. Follow Your Heart, And Your Gut

_**Hope this was fast enough for you guys. ;]**_

"_**Killing brings peace to killers; death of the killer brings peace to the families."**_

**************

Kristina woke up, feeling more rested then she had in the longest time. She hadn't yet opened her eyes.

At first, she thought she was still at her house, in her own room, surrounded by the pink frill she hated. She reached over to her right side, where her alarm clock should have been.

Her hand flailed around in empty air. That was when she realized that she wasn't where she thought she was.

Her eyes shot open and an unfamiliar place filled her eyes. The past events flooded back into her well rested brain.

She shot up out on the paisley designed couch way too fast. She clutched her stomach and covered her mouth, looking around for something she could throw up in. Luckily there was a bucket right beside her.

She grabbed thankfully and heaved. She had barely anything in her stomach, so it was basically dry heaving, but it still didn't feel too good.

When she was finished, she laid the bucket on the ground and sat back, _much _slower then she had sat up before. She still felt a little sick, but she forced herself to stay calm as she surveyed the scene around her. She kept one hand rested on her stomach, as if protecting her baby.

She was in a living room it seemed. Across the small hall, there were multiple doors. One was slightly ajar and showed a sea green themed bathroom. She twisted so she could see behind her, and thankfully it didn't trigger another bout of nausea.

The kitchen was nice; small but nice. There were deep wood cabinets, almost black. There red and white tiled floors. There was a little table that matched the cabinets; there were three chairs…..

And one was occupied.

Kristina froze. Her common sense came back to her. She had no idea where she was, and there was someone sitting at the kitchen table behind her, who would notice she was awake in a matter of minutes. She needed to get out of here.

She looked around without making any sound, looking for the front door. She didn't see anything around where she was. She looked in the kitchen, knowing what she would see.

There it was, the front door…right behind the kitchen table.

So there went that escape plan.

She sighed quietly, frustrated. She tried to think of something else, but came up with nothing.

She sat back and tried to steady her breathing. The last thing she remembered was bursting through the bushes, and someone screaming. A little boy, she thought.

_Oh, so I must be in the house I saw. _For some reason, this made her relax.

She reasoned with herself, saying that if they wanted her dead, then they already would have killed her.

She heard a slight shuffling behind her and before she knew it, the woman appeared by her side.

"Oh good, you're awake." The woman said. She was pretty; with bright red hair worn lose with voluminous curls. She was average height, and wore a simple attire, jeans and t-shirt. She gave her a bright smile, and she looked friendly enough.

But that didn't stop Kristina from scooting as far away as possible from her on the narrow couch.

"Oh, sorry." the woman said, noticing that she made Kristina was uncomfortable. She crossed the room and sat on the smaller couch across from Kristina. She set her coffee cup on the little table in front of her. "My name is Melissa. You don't need to be afraid of me."

Kristina pulled the blanket tighter around her, but relaxed her guard a bit. "I'm Kristina." She said, reluctantly. If she was going to get out of here, she needed to at least play along with this Melissa.

"How are you feeling? My son said you took quite a nasty fall out there." Melissa asked, confirming Kristina's beliefs that a little boy had been involved.

"Um, I feel fine. Just a little nauseous." She said, gesturing to the bucket she had regurgitated in. it was beginning to smell.

Melissa got up and picked up the bucket, causing Kristina to shy away again.

"I honestly won't hurt you." Melissa said, chuckling a little. "Here, let me just clean this out and we can talk, okay?" Melissa smiled one of those bright smiles of hers and went into the bathroom that Kristina had seen before.

Kristina decided that she wasn't going anywhere. Melissa had a son, she wouldn't hurt her. Plus this was like a free place to stay, with food and it was secluded, no one would find her. She settled back into the cushions. Maybe she had found a place after all…

Kristina jumped when she noticed a little boy, struggling to climb up onto the couch. He looked about three and was the cutest little boy she had ever seen. He had deep brown hair, almost like Sam's color. He was wearing adorable little overalls that were becoming a little too short. He had on little white sneakers with a navy Nike check mark. It matched the short sleeved navy shirt underneath his overalls.

She thought of Sam with a pang in her chest. She knew how much Sam would have loved this little boy, and how good of a mother Sam would have been, if only she could have kids.

The little boy slipped, falling back, and narrowly missing his head on the sharp corner of the table.

"Aaw, are you alright?" Kristina asked in a soothing tone.

The boy stayed on the floor, sitting up and crossing his arms, an adorable pout on his face when he turned to look at her.

Kristina gasped when she saw the boy's eyes. They were a gorgeous blue, something like she had ever seen before. They were shocking to look at. She tried not to stare, so as not to alarm the child.

He glared at her for a few more seconds, before getting up and brushing himself off. He tried, this time successfully, to get on the couch. He sat there with a pleasant look on his face.

"So, what's your name?" she asked him, wondering why she was trying to start a conversation with a three year old.

Unsurprisingly, he didn't answer. He just stared at her intently, like he was trying to figure out who she was.

Thankfully, Melissa came back breaking the awkward tension. She placed the clean bucket back on the floor. The smell of bleach coming from the bucket flooded her nostrils, making her want to puke all over again. She pushed the bucket away lightly with her toe. Thankfully, the motion went unnoticed; she didn't want t seem rude.

Melissa went t go sit back on the couch when she noticed her son there. "Oh!" she said in surprise.

The little boy grinned up at her, revealing perfect little white teeth. He reached his arms up for her, eagerly.

"You weren't supposed to be up yet." She said, smiling back at him, forgetting that Kristina was still in the room. She began to tickle him. "I hope you're not sleepy!" she cried, tickling him all over.

The boy's laughter was contagious and Kristina couldn't help but smile. The kid was adorable. She hoped her baby would be like that; happy all the time.

"Mommy!" the boy squealed, begging her to stop.

Finally, she did stop and they both sat back breathless, and still laughing.

Kristina looked at them, longing in her eyes. She missed her family so much. She wanted to go back right now. But she couldn't. She didn't want to see the hurt and disappointment in her mother's eyes each time she looked at Kristina.

She would go back, she reasoned, after the baby was born. After she could get her life back on track. Maybe when Sam woke up. She would return, she had too.

"Oh, Kristina, this is my son, Noah.

"You okay hun?" Melissa asked, in the concerned way only mothers can.

It took all of Kristina's strength not to break down right there.

Then to her horror, the words spilled from her mouth without her permission. "I'm pregnant."

Melissa didn't look that much surprised, but she didn't say anything. She lightly bounced Noah on her leg.

Kristina sighed, and began telling the whole story, telling Melissa all about Keifer, and how her Mom would be so disappointed and that's why she ran away. She even told her about Sam, in her coma, and how it was killing her not knowing whether she woke up or not. She didn't know why she unloaded all of this on Melissa, but when she was finished, she felt so much better.

When she had finished, she took a deep breath and sat back. It felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

Melissa was lightly bouncing Noah who looked sleepy again and who was clutching his security blanket, contemplating all that she had just told her. She looked up at Kristina and said, "I think we should call the police, so they can take you home." She said softly, so as not to disturb Noah.

"No you can't!" she yelled. She softened her voice, not wanting to disturb Noah either. "Please, I can't go home until after this baby is born. If you call the police, I'll…I'll just leave. You won't know where I am, and I'll just have the baby at some convent or something." Kristina babbled on, praying that Melissa wouldn't call anyone.

"Well, you should at least call your mother. I'm sure she is extremely worried about you. I would be if it was Noah."

"Well, the thing is, my Mom would be able to track me with the help of Spinelli, if I called. So I can't do that either. But I promise, I will go home after I have this baby."

Melissa changed the subject. "So you are definitely having the baby?" she inquired thoughtfully. "No abortion?"

"Well, I guess I thought about it, but I wouldn't want to go by myself, plus, I don't think I could go through with it. Taking someone's life is horrible." She shuddered, only proving her point.

Melissa nodded, agreeing.

"Well, I only see one solution." Melissa began, and Kristina looked up at her, worried. "You can stay here until you're baby arrives, then you can go home like you wanted."

Kristina's eyes welled up, and she smiled, so grateful that now she would have place to stay, and she wouldn't be sent home. She would have gotten up to hug her, but she was still too weak, and they still didn't know each other well.

"Thank you so much." Kristina said, but she could tell that Melissa didn't mind. "So, um, how did you and Noah end up here in the middle of nowhere?" she asked, wanting to know more about this strange little family.

Melissa cleared her throat, then, seeming to trust Kristina, said, "Let me put Noah back in his bed, then I'll get you something to eat. Then I can tell you _our_ story."

**********

Jason leaned on his bike, arms crossed, staring at the stars. He had been out here since Alexis had called him with the news of Sam waking up.

He remembered how he had felt when Alexis had told him, on how he walked out on Sonny, and he realized that he didn't think he could wait till tomorrow to see Sam.

He wondered what she was doing now, probably sitting alone in the room, sleeping? Flipping through channels on the TV?

He didn't want her to be alone. She must have been through so much already. He wanted to hold her, and tell her nothing bad would ever happen to her again.

He wanted her, even though guilt from Elizabeth plagued him at the back of his mind.

He knew he should go see Elizabeth tonight, they hadn't had more than a few barely noticeable encounters, and he wanted to make it up to her. But Elizabeth would understand, Sam was his best friend. He needed to see her that's all.

Jason took one last look at the stars, and the full moon, before hopping back on his bike. The running motor filled up the silence that he had been surrounded in.

When he got on that bike for the second time, he had all intentions of going to Elizabeth's house.

And yet, when he got onto the street, he found himself heading to General Hospital.

He needed to see for himself that she was okay.

He sped through the streets, finding himself actually nervous about going to see Sam now that she was awake. How much did she remember from being in the coma? Did she remember his visits? Would she even _want _to see him?

He sighed, his breath being taken away by the wind.

He cut the engine quickly as he pulled into a spot in the hospital parking lot. He tried to be as inconspicuous as possible as he made his way through the front doors.

All he had to do was make sure that Epiphany didn't see him and he should be good.

He looked to see if she was at the nurse's desk, and unfortunately she was. Fortunately though, her back was to him and he walked swiftly by the desk and into the hall.

He knew this place by heart, and could probably walk it blindfolded, even though he had only walked it for little over a month.

He could feel his heart tugging in the direction of her room, and he was really starting to get nervous now. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans as he continued his walk.

When he finally reached the room, he wasn't sure if he could make himself go in. At first, he just stood there, staring at the light wood door with her room number beside it. He took deep breaths, but couldn't seem to calm down.

He knew that if he didn't go in now, he would either get caught, or lose the nerve to go in and just turn around and leave. He made himself grasp the cool doorknob and pushed his way in.

As expected, it was dark inside. He stood there, silently; as he let his eyes adjust.

Finally, he could make out a figure in the pale moonlight that was making its way through the window.

It outlined her face, eyes closed, breathing deeply. She looked like an angel in the moonlight. Her face looked smooth and inviting, he wanted to lean over and touch her like he used to. Her hair was down and it flowed past her shoulders in dark ripples.

His heart flew into his throat.

Praying he didn't make a sound, he made his way over to the bed, but instead of pulling up a chair like he did before, he stared down at her, wishing she was his.

He noticed when her breathing changed, and even saw her eyelids flutter open, as she became aware that she was being watched. Still he didn't say a word.

When she opened her eyes, Jason noticed something different about them, something changed. It worried him, but he knew that she was still recovering, so he let it go. He continued watching her as she yawned and stretched.

Suddenly she became aware of his presence and a horror-stricken look passed on her face. She opened her mouth to scream, but he flew to her side and clapped a rough hand over her mouth.

"Shh, Sam, it's okay, it's me." He whispered in her ear. "Don't yell, they will come and kick me out." He explained. He could feel her breathing fast beneath his hand, and he removed it quickly and stepped back

"Jason?" she whispered back.

He melted when she said his name, and went back over to her. He gathered her up in his arms and held on tight, never wanting to let her go, not wanting her to be scared or hurt anymore.

She buried her head into his shoulder, sniffing in the familiar scent. She clung on tight, and tears poured down her cheeks. She relaxed into him, and felt secure and safe like she always did in his arms. Right now, it was just the two of them, together, and that was the way she always wanted it to be.

He ran his fingers through her hair, and up and down hr back, as if to reassure himself she was there, awake and alive before him. He placed his chin against her forehead and smiled. He took in a big breath of relief. This was the way things were supposed to be.

He tried to move back to give her some space, but she had none of that. She clung to him as if, if she let go, he would disappear and she would never see him again. That was exactly how she felt.

He didn't want her to struggle or be uncomfortable, so he scooted her over, and lay down on the bed beside her.

She shifted to give him more room, and lay her head in his chest. She sighed, content.

"Jason." She barely breathed his name, and it sent chills down his spine.

"How are you feeling?" he murmured.

"Well, I've been better, I guess." She said, and chuckled lightly. "It was so awful; it was like being semi conscious, and paralyzed. I could hear everything, but couldn't move. It was so scary. I just wanted to call out to you guys, but I couldn't, I couldn't even see." She shuddered, but not from the cold.

He could tell that she had a rough time in that coma. It had broken her in a way that she may never come back from. But he sensed that there was something else bothering her, something else that she hadn't yet told him. He didn't want to push on the matter though.

He ran his hand softly up and down her arm, in an effort to soothe her.

"It must have been pretty bad." He agreed. "Sam, what happened?" he asked, dying to know, like everyone else.

Sam wasn't sure if she should tell him the truth. Would he believe her? She wasn't sure she could even believe it herself. But if anyone would help her, and believe in her, it was Jason.

She pulled away from him and sat up, staring out the window. The moon shined in her eyes, and he could tell that she had the same look in them as when she first woke up. He still couldn't place a finger on what he saw in them.

"I fell into the pier." She started, but it sounded pathetic, even to her own ears. "Okay, I was pushed into the pier. I don't really remember much though. I must have hit my head or something, because I blacked out. But while I was in the coma, I was having these dreams, and that's how I pieced together what happened. But at first I didn't believe it." She paused. "And then _he_ came." Her voice had taken a hollow tone.

He sat behind her, rubbing her shoulders as she told him all about the man that came to her while she was in the coma. She even told him about attacking Patrick when she first woke up. And that she hadn't been able to relax, fearing that every person that walked through the door was him, coming to kill her.

"That's why I freaked out when I saw you here." She admitted, seeming to fold in on herself. "It's okay if you don't believe me." She said quietly, shying away from his touch.

He pulled her to him, rocking her gently. "Of course I believe you." He said, and he did. Now he fully understood what had happened to her. He would have Spinelli begin looking into this right away. He had a gut feeling that Sam's life was in danger as she said, and he wasn't going to take any chances. He couldn't bear to lose her. Not again…

"Jason?" she asked.

"Mmm?" he replied, lost in thought about how he was going to handle this situation, and was being lulled by the rocking.

"Will you…. Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked hesitantly, afraid of rejection.

He hesitated only a second, thinking of Elizabeth. "Sure." He said. "Don't worry; I'll take care of everything. I'll keep you safe."

And Sam believed him.

They both lay back on the bed again, both their eyelids drooping. Sam knew that she would get a good sleep tonight. She felt safer and less alone then she had in a long time. She was glad Jason had agreed to stay with her, she was afraid of what would have happened if she didn't.

_You can't become dependent on him again. _She reprimanded herself, but she was too tired to really focus.

"I remember what you told me in the coma." She recalled groggily, more than half asleep.

Jason's heart picked up. This is what he was afraid of. "I said a lot of things to you." He said, hoping she couldn't tell how he was reacting.

"You told me you loved me." She said, and then was silent.

Jason didn't say anything either. He thought she had fallen asleep but then, "Did you mean it?"

"Can we talk about this some other time?" he begged.

She didn't seem to hear him, or if she did, she ignored him. "Because, I have been thinking the same thing. I never stopped, you know." She sighed, burying herself deeper into him.

He knew only too well…

And of course, he meant every word he had said to her, but he wasn't sure if he was ready to have those feelings out in the open. He still had a life with Elizabeth and Jake, even if it was strained at the moment. He didn't know what to do yet.

Then again, who was he lying in bed with?

_It's not even close to the same thing._ He told himself. He and Sam felt safe together, that was all right? Best friends right?

"Sam, I…I don't know what to do."

Fortunately, he didn't have to say anything more, for a soft snore came from Sam. She had fallen asleep.

She shivered, some unseen terror plaguing her, and goose bumps rose on her arms.

Jason carefully slipped off his jacket, and laid it over her, and she stopped shivering immediately.

He couldn't express in words what he was feeling now. And right now, he didn't have to.

He just fell asleep with the comfort of knowing he would wake up with Sam beside him. All other problems could wait until tomorrow.

This was where he rightfully belonged…

**********

Claudia stomped, pissed and worried, through the quieted streets of New York.

As soon as she heard the front door close, she knew that she would have to go after Johnny. She had called a cab, momentarily forgetting that there was only one car, and that Johnny was driving it, probably drunk and reckless through the streets.

She had told the cab driver to drop her off at Jake's and she began searching from there. But no one had neither seen nor heard of Johnny that night.

She had checked everywhere she could think of that he might have gone. Kelly's, the Zacchara mansion, Jake's, but he hadn't turned up anywhere.

She had thought of Sonny's, but decided that if she alerted Sonny that she was back in Port Charles, her days might be numbered. Though he still didn't know about her part in Michael's shooting, she didn't want to risk it. If Johnny went there, she would wait until he returned home, hopefully in one piece.

So that was how she wound up at the pier, shivering in her thin cropped jacket and red Prada pumps. She cursed Lulu for driving Johnny to act this way. True, she didn't like the blonde when she and Johnny were dating, but it was ten times worse when they weren't.

She looked out over the water, praying that Johnny was okay. She hadn't even seen the car parked anywhere, and she was hoping that he hadn't wrecked it somewhere. If he was being hospitalized, she was sure to have gotten a call already.

She kicked at a rock, sending it splashing into the water, and scuffing her pumps.

"Shit!" she said, bending down in her tight leather pants. This just topped her night, standing here in the cold, with a missing brother and now, to top it all off, ruined shoes.

She heard someone come down the steps behind her. She stood up and whirled around, hoping for Johnny.

Instead she was met with the brooding Nicholas Cassidine.

She scoffed, turning around, but not before noticing how hot Nicholas had become in her time away.

"Nice to see you again too." He said sarcastically, walking up beside her. "I didn't know you were back in town." He noted.

"Just came in today." She replied shortly, trying to ignore him.

"Oh, nice." He said, and an awkward pause followed. Claudia refused to break it, wishing Nicholas would just leave her to find her brother.

She shivered again as the wind pierced through her thin coat. Fashionable? Yes. Warm? No.

Before she knew it, Nicholas had shed his coat and draped it over her shoulders. It was oddly warm, and the gesture was really kind, much kinder then she had ever gotten in Port Charles before. She knew Nicholas was just doing it out of good manners, but it still felt nice.

"Thanks." She muttered, feeling bad about being so rude.

He shrugged it off. "So what brings you out here tonight?" he asked, curious.

"Johnny left the house today. I'm sure he's been drinking. He took the car and I'm worried. I'm out looking for him." She said, wondering why she had actually told him. She never usually let her guard down this easy. But around Nicholas, it just seemed to flow out.

"Oh, yeah. Every time I see him around, he seems pretty crappy. No offense." He seemed to add as an afterthought. "Guess him and Lulu breaking up hit him hard huh?"

Claudia nodded, peeved. "And I've checked almost everywhere." She sighed. "Well, I'm sure he will turn up at some point. So what are you doing here?" she asked in an effort to turn the conversation away from her.

"Oh, me? I just got bored sitting around at Wyndemere by myself. Just though I'd get some air or something." He answered, gazing out over the lake at his own private island.

"I see." She said, gazing at Wyndemere as well.

"Well, do you want some help finding your brother?" he asked her. "I'm sure it would certainly solve my bored problem."

They both laughed together.

_Say no, don't ask for his help. _"Uh, sure. That would be great." She found herself answering in spite of her head telling her no.

They set off, double checking all the places Claudia had looked, and Nicholas adding some places to the list.

They talked the whole time, finding they had much more in common then she would have thought. She even managed to forget about her ruined shoes.

**********

When Lulu and her captor were completely concealed in the brush by the park, she caught hold on one of his (or her) fingers, and chomped down, hard. Hard enough that she was sure she tasted blood.

She heard him (and now she was sure it was a him) yelp and let go, and she took the opportunity to run. She started to run, but he caught her leg and she fell down, throwing her hands down in front of her to stop her fall and from smacking her face.

Now that her mouth wasn't being covered, she opened her mouth to scream, but stopped when her kidnapper spoke.

"How come you want to run away from me?" he asked, in a seemingly taunting voice.

The scream froze in her throat and she flung around and was met by….

Johnny's grinning face.

Lulu's emotions went from fear to anger, and she yanked her foot from his grasp. She stood up and brushed the dirt and snow bits off her clothes.

"Jesus Johnny, you nearly gave me a heart attack." She scolded.

"Yeah, well you didn't need to bite me." He said, rubbing his bloody finger, and still grinning his horrible grin.

Lulu could tell he was drunk, she could smell the alcohol seeping off him and it made her stomach churn.

"And you didn't need to drag me from behind and drag me into the woods." She said, her fear returning. She started to back up, her hand reaching into her pocket for her cell phone to call Dominic. She should have taken him up on his offer to drive her.

Every time Lulu took a step back, Johnny took a step forward. It made her uneasy and she turned to run back out into the park and scream, even if she looked stupid.

It was Johnny, he wouldn't hurt her right? Even if he was drunk. If that was the truth, then why did she have a chill up her spine and an uneasy feeling in her gut?

No sooner had she taken a step to run, then she felt Johnny's hand on her shoulder, preventing her from going any further.

She turned slowly to face him this time, not sure what to do anymore.

"Johnny, let me go. I need to go now." She spoke low and slow, as if talking to a two year old. She tried to keep her voice steady, and she was doing pretty well. She was scared and wanted to return to the safety of her home and meet with Dominic like she planned.

She had taken her hand out of her pocket so that she didn't alert Johnny that she had a phone. Though, if he was thinking clearly, he would have thought of that already. If he was thinking clearly, he wouldn't be touching her at all.

"I couldn't let you even if I wanted to. I tried before and it didn't work, and now I got you to myself." He rasped, leaning in so close that his breath was on her neck. He pressed himself against her, and she could feel his heart beating. Once upon a time, that would have felt wonderful to her, but now it just felt…wrong.

"Let go!" she cried, as he began kissing her neck. She pushed him away from her, hard. "Don't touch me!"

This time, the scream came freely."Help!" she yelled, hoping someone was around to hear.

In an effort to shut her up, Johnny took a swing and punched her square in the jaw. She was flung to the side, tripping on a stone and falling hard on her hip, clutching her jaw. Now she didn't care if Johnny saw the phone or not, she whipped it out of her pocket and began dialing.

Johnny was momentarily shocked at what he had done. He stared down at his hand in surprise. Then he turned to her, just as she was dialing the last number and the send button. She heard the phone ring once before Johnny ripped it from her grasp, his drunken rage returning.

"I really wish you hadn't done that." He said, before flinging the phone on the hard cement. It skidded out from the bushes, into the park by the bench.

He started coming toward her.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, chin trembling. She still tried to act strong, but he didn't know what to do. It seemed as if everyone had disappeared and wouldn't hear her scream, no matter how loud.

She hoped Maxie or Dominic would realize she was gone and come looking for her. She could barely move, immobilized by the stinging pain in her hip whenever she moved. So running was out of the question. She wouldn't get far before he hit or touched her again.

She was trapped.

Lulu _hated _feeling trapped. She supposed all Spencer's did. She felt like a caged animal with nowhere to go. She needed to get out of here, if it was the last thing she did. And in this case, it might possibly be the last thing she did.

No she regretted not telling Dominic how she felt.

Johnny kept coming towards her, and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

"Please don't hit me again." She pleaded with him. "I haven't done anything to you."

Johnny leaned down and laughed bitterly right in her face. "You haven't done anything to me?" he sneered, not bothering to keep his voice down. "You haven't done anything to me?! What do you call this misery?" he cried, gesturing at himself. "What do you call me drinking myself to insanity every night? What do you call me not being able to stop thinking about you since we broke up?" he asked, quieting his voice and stroking a finger down her cheek.

All this felt so right to him, being with her, touching her. Why couldn't she see that? Well, no matter, she would soon enough.

It was all she could do not to squirm under his finger. She swallowed; it sounded so loud in this quiet and tense moment.

"Johnny, we decided together that we should break up. We weren't good for each other. We moved on, remember?" her voice caught in her throat as she tried to stop his hand from going under her shirt, but he was too strong.

"That's the thing Lulu; I never got over you. I have thought about you every second of every day, and no matter what I do, I can't seem to forget about you." His hands were wandering everywhere from her hair to her smarting hip.

She couldn't help but wince when he touched her, and she was afraid to push away for fear that he would hit her again. She could already feel the bruise starting on her jaw. She wondered how she would explain away that one.

_If_ she made it out of here…

She needed to stop her horrible thoughts. Johnny was still Johnny, he wouldn't kill her.

"Johnny, please stop touching me." She begged, hating the pitiful sound of her frightened voice. "I'm not with you anymore, you don't have the right." She said, trying to squirm away, but the effort was worthless. Between her hip and his hands, she couldn't move.

He continued, as if she hadn't even spoken. Somehow, she managed to stop tears from coming, even though she wanted them too. She wouldn't let him see how weak she was.

He sat back suddenly, seeming to be messing with some invisible demons in his head.

"Come on." He said roughly to her, and stood up.

When she didn't move, he got angry, and bent down to drag her painfully to her feet.

Once on her feet, the pain in her hip became excruciating, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, fighting nausea. Johnny seemed oblivious of her pain as he dragged her deeper into the woods. She thought about screaming one more time, but she knew it was a futile effort.

So she allowed herself to be dragged into the woods, following a similar path that they used to go together, pain and hurt echoing through her body. She hoped someone realized she was missing and fast. She needed to get out of here.

Little did they know…

Lulu's phone had continued ringing, even after Johnny had thrown it onto the ground.


	20. Big Mistake

_**Sorry it took so long.**_

"Pirelli." Dominic answered his phone when it rang. He had just returned up to his apartment from getting some food from Kelly's for him and Lulu. She still wasn't here yet and he hoped she was okay.

He was met by silence on the other end.

Confused, he laid the bag of food on his small table and removed the phone from his ear to check the caller ID.

He recognized the number as Lulu's.

His heart sped up in terror. As he listened, he thought he could hear a low murmur of words, like a conversation. He couldn't tell who it was.

"Lulu, you there? Are you alright?" he pleaded, praying she would answer.

"Help!" he heard her scream faintly, and then a thud.

All he could do was listen in horror. He wondered how far away from the phone Lulu was.

He kept listening but didn't hear anything more. They must have moved too far away.

Dominic hung up the phone and threw it down on the bed in fury and panic. He tried reasoning with himself. Lulu may have dropped her phone on her way and that could have been some rambunctious teenagers fooling around. Lulu would burst through his door any second and everything would be alright.

But for some reason, he couldn't relax. He picked up his phone, and dialed Maxie's number. He began laying out the food as he listened to its ringing.

"Maxie Jones." Maxie said, in a chipper voice.

"Maxie, its Dominic."

"Oh, it's you." She said, her friendly voice fading.

"I just have a question, really quick." He said, annoyed by her already.

"Ugh, fine, hurry up." She said, and he heard a door close and her heels tapping.

"You've been at Crimson this whole time right?"

"Yeah, just left. Why?" she asked suspicious. "And you have got to stop stealing Lulu away from her job Dominic. I swear, if I have to cover for her one more time---"

"Maxie." He said, cutting her off from her pointless talking. "Are you saying that Lulu never showed up from work?" he asked her, the discomfort mounting.

"No, she left on her break and never came back. I just thought she was with you or something. She usually calls if she isn't going to make it back." Dominic could hear the worry start to creep into her voice.

"Shit!" he said, racing into action. He pulled on a coat, grabbed his cop badge and a gun and his keys and made his way out the door.

"Maxie, I got to go. I'll call you if I find her."

"Wait, what?! You mean she's _missing?!_"

"I'll take care of it." He said, forcefully and hung up on her.

He ran through Kelly's and out the door so fast and jumped in his car parked across the street. He peeled out, and made his way to the only cyber-savvy guy he knew that could trace Lulu's call.

**********

Melissa had gotten her a plate of leftover chicken and mashed potatoes, which she gobbled up eagerly. It was delicious, and the only real dinner she had had in weeks.

"Not too fast." Melissa warned. "Or it will all just come back up."

Kristina nodded, and began shoveling the food in less quick.

Noah had gone to bed and now it was time for Melissa to start her story.

Melissa cleared her throat, and she appeared nervous. Kristina figured she didn't tell this story often, and she felt important to be able to know it.

"We are hiding." Melissa began. "From my husband. Well, my ex husband now."

Kristina paused from her eating. This was going to get good. Looked like Port Charles wasn't the only strange town with a lot of drama.

"Why what did he do?" Kristina asked, before filling her mouth again. She chewed on it quietly, not wanting to interrupt the story.

Melissa sighed, not wanting to relive her past life. But she had to make Kristina understand the danger that she could be in if she stayed.

"You know, my name wasn't always Melissa? My name was Charlotte and Noah was Joshua." Melissa said, and Kristina looked at her curiously. She continued on with the tale, trying to find the best way to explain it.

"He was crazy. And I mean that in the literal sense. We didn't find out until after…" she shuddered, remembering. "It was one night, rainy and dark. I had just put Joshua to bed, and my husband, Paul, was nowhere to be found. I didn't think much of it. He sometimes went out without telling me, drinking I always thought. Joshua was just a baby, so I had the monitor next to me as I read. I was on the couch by the front door. In the middle of a paragraph in my book, the door banged open, spraying me with the horrible rain. I was terrified until I saw who it was. Paul scuffling in, shutting the door slowly behind him."

Kristina lowered the plate onto the table, suddenly not hungry anymore.

_Two years earlier…_

"Paul, honey, are you okay?" Charlotte called out to Paul, who was just standing facing the door. He was soaked, which meant he probably walked all the way home.

He turned to her, and the look in his eyes terrified her, made her want to scream. But she didn't want to wake Joshua upstairs, so she stayed quiet.

"You out drinking again?" Charlotte asked, returning to her book.

He stalked over to the couch, leaving a trail of water behind him. He didn't seem to notice, and he ignored Charlotte's question. He plopped on the couch with a sickening squish.

Charlotte's lip curled in disgust, but she didn't say anything. She wished Paul would talk with her more often, but he kept getting more distant. She didn't like it, but didn't know how to approach it.

"You missed putting Joshua to bed, again." She sighed, setting the book down. "You know, I thought you were really serious about getting married and having a child. I thought you really wanted to be a father."

"Char, just shut up!" he yelled at her.

She did, taken aback by his tone.

The look in his eyes increased and he started yelling, to someone who wasn't there. "I hate you!" he screamed. "Go away! I HATE YOU!" He had leaped up off the couch and was knocking over things. Lamps, pictures, all of them crashed to the floor, shattering.

Charlotte jumped up too, and skittered over to him, trying to calm him. "Paul, Paul! Stop, look at what you're doing! And you are going to wake Josh!" she said, trying to reason with him.

He turned to her with his empty eyes, and that was when she knew he wasn't all there. He hadn't been drinking all those times he disappeared, he had been out doing God knows what, insanity ruling his mind.

She tried backing away, realizing her mistake, but this time, he grabbed her arms. He tightened them on her upper arm, causing her to cry out.

"Paul, stop it! You're hurting me!" she cried, but he didn't seem to hear her. She wasn't even sure if she saw her as her, or as some manic demon.

"Don't ever touch me again." He said, in a low menacing voice, getting in close to her face. He let go, only to push her hard, against the wall. She slammed her head against a glass frame, and she felt something trickle down her neck, as the glass rained down on her. She slid to the ground, and curled up into a ball, not wanting him to hurt her again.

He seemed to return to himself, only for a minute. "Char? Oh my God Char, I'm so sorry." He seemed like he meant it too. But when he started towards her, the maniac look came back into his eyes, and she tried to get away.

She was crawling, too weak to get up, but still wanting to get away.

He caught hold of her ankle, and tugged her towards him, even as she kicked against him. "Let go of me. Let go of me!"

She twisted around and punched him in the face. Not hard, but enough to get him to loosen his grip. She kicked herself free, and, despite the light headedness that she felt, she struggled to her feet and ran.

She didn't know where she was going to go, and then she remembered Joshua upstairs. There was no way she was leading this psycho upstairs to him. She couldn't let him hurt her baby.

She thought of running outside and screaming, but with the storm, no one would hear her, and she wasn't leaving Joshua alone.

She did the only thing she could think of, hiding. At least until she could get to the phone, hanging on the wall in the kitchen.

She heard him coming closer, feet dragging on the floor. The only space close enough for her to go to was the small opening underneath the stairs. She hoped she could fit.

She ran quietly, and squeezed herself in, just as Paul made himself visible in the hall.

"Charlotte? Where are yoooou?" he called in a creepy singsong voice. "I just need to talk to you. I won't hurt you." He said, then proceeded to laugh in that chilled her spine. She stuffed her fist in her mouth to keep from crying or making any noise.

She could see him perfectly as he made his way slowly, with a crooked grin creeping around, looking for her. She didn't want to find out what would happen if he did manage to find her.

"Come out come out wherever you areeeee!" he yelled out, in the same amused voice.

He neared the staircase, and he seemed to be looking straight at her. She tensed up, ready to spring at him if he came any closer.

But just as she got ready to spring, he turned away, still calling her name. She sighed a breath of relief as he headed into the kitchen, then cursed herself for being so loud.

As soon as his back disappeared into the kitchen, she leaped from her safe haven, and took to the stairs.

She climbed as quickly as she could without making a sound in her stocking feet. She took them two at a time at parts, and only just managed to stay on her feet.

When she reached the top, she collapsed on the plush carpet, but only for a moment, pausing to catch her breath. She could feel the blood, sticky and wet, all down her back, and she had a massive headache.

She listened to see if she could hear Paul downstairs, but she couldn't. She wasn't sure if that was such a good sign.

She shakily got to her feet, and made her way noiselessly to Joshua's room. She could hear him stirring, and she was worried Paul might hear him through the monitor downstairs. She needed to grab Joshua and escape somehow or at least get to the phone.

The door to his room was slightly ajar, and she knew it would make at least some noise as she opened it. She explored her options, which were minimal. She _had _to open the door.

As she approached, she prayed for a miracle. She and her baby needed to escape this nightmare.

She touched the cool knob and pushed it opened, wincing at the creek it made. She wasn't sure if he could hear anything over the storm, but the quieter the better.

She strained her ears to hear anything downstairs, but was met with the same eerie silence. She took another deep breath and walked into the room.

It was dark, with only the little nightlight giving up a soft glow.

When she looked over into the crib, she noticed Joshua was wide awake; peering at her as if he knew something was amiss.

She made a shushing before she lifted him gently from the crib. He seemed to understand, because he didn't say a word.

She clutched him to her chest, and spun around, wanting to get out of this house.

There was a flash of lightening, and then…

Paul was there.

He was smiling a sickly smile, and was clutching a knife. It was just like a horror movie. He was standing there dripping wet, ready to kill her.

Even though no one would hear her, Charlotte mustered up some more energy and screamed at the top of her lungs, causing Joshua to startle and start screaming too.

Paul got so angry at the noise and started swinging with the knife. It was one of the long sharp ones she had gotten from him last Christmas. Oh the irony.

His swings were wild at first, and she dodged them easily, leaning forward to protect Josh. She was starting to feel faint from the blood loss, but she had to keep going.

She tried heading towards the door so she could run out. Paul thankfully didn't recognize the strategy. His swings became more precise and Charlotte had a couple of close calls with missing limbs. None came close to her child though, and that was all that mattered.

Paul tripped over one of Josh's toys, and Charlotte seized the opportunity. She fled the room, tripping down the stairs.

It didn't take Paul long to catch up. He was right behind her, as she reached the last step. He grabbed her hair, bringing her close to him. Joshua was still crying.

She yelped as hair was ripped from her scalp.

Paul held the knife to her neck, seeming to ignore the screaming baby in her arms. He was breathing heavily, and she could smell his rank breath.

"You'll never get away with this." She growled, trying to pull free. She only managed to get more air torn out.

He laughed at her. "I won't will I? You really think I'm going to let the cops find both of your bodies? I'm sure with some gasoline, they will burn quite nicely don't you think?"

Her blood turned to ice at the mention of both their bodies. He wasn't planning on letting Joshua live.

He grabbed Joshua from her arms, even as she screamed in protest. She kept right on screaming, hollering at the top of her lungs. Tears were flooding her vision and she kept hitting at Paul until he backhanded her and she lay sprawled on the floor.

Joshua had stopped crying completely, feeling safe in his daddy's arms. Oh, contraire.

Charlotte stayed silent, not wanting to jeopardize Joshua's chance of surviving.

"You don't look a thing like me. I never wanted you, you know. Hated you since the day you came. If I hadn't have knocked up your mother, I would be long gone by now. Now, I'm going to get rid of you both, once and for all." He chuckled, drawing up the knife. "Watch closely Char." He said as Charlotte pulled herself to her feet.

"You can't do this. Please, you can't." she sobbed, pleading with him. "You can take my life just please let him go."

"Aw, isn't that sweet? A mother's love. Too bad it won't be enough to save this baby." He said, running the knife between two of his fingers. He clutched the handle so hard his knuckles turned white.

"No, you monster!" she shrieked.

He held the knife up over the baby's head. He ran it up and down his cheek, and Josh started to cry again at the touch of the foreign object.

He poked the tip of the knife into his chin. It drew blood almost immediately. It was a bright crimson against the pale baby skin.

Joshua shrieked in pain, and it split Charlotte's heart in two. She couldn't stand there and do nothing.

She leaped at Paul's back, causing him to drag the knife, piercing the skin, up across his jaw line. Blood flowed freely, and Charlotte fought successfully for control of her baby. She grabbed Josh from his arms and got to her feet.

As soon as she did, she felt a pain in her lower leg, causing her to stumble.

Paul had pushed the knife right through her leg.

She didn't stop, though the pain was excruciating. She threw open the door, getting hit by wind and rain. So weak, it almost blew her off her feet.

She reached down and pulled the knife from her leg and turned around. Paul was lying on the ground, laughing manically. He was clutching his stomach from his crazy laughter.

He stopped when he saw her heading out the door. "I'll get you. I'll find you, and I'll kill you. Both of you." His voice sent shivers down her spine.

She tore her gaze from him, and fled down the slippery stone stairs. She flung the knife on the ground and she ran into the street.

She stood in the middle of the street, screaming.

_Present Day:_

"The last thing I remember was a car's headlights, before I collapsed in the street. The next time I woke up, I was in the hospital. Once I was well, I was asked so many questions, but all I wanted was to see my baby. He was in intensive care, apparently, he had lost a lot of blood. Once I saw he was alive, I answered all their questions. They had a social worker come and talk to me. He recommended changing our identities, since they couldn't find Paul anywhere. We weren't safe. I agreed to anything that would protect us. So now we are Melissa and Noah Walker. Living in the woods in a cabin, we get our food sent to us, and we are safe. No one has ever come remotely close to finding us, until you came along." Melissa concluded her story, wiping a few stray tears from her eyes.

Kristina was speechless. "That's horrible." She managed.

"I think that is a bit of an understatement." Melissa said, as an attempt to lighten the mood. "I trust you with this; you can't tell anyone when you leave here. I trust you like you are trusting me."

"I won't say anything." Kristina nodded solemnly. "I swear."

Melissa nodded, satisfied. "You know," she said thoughtfully. "Noah and I have scars from that night; it's like a constant reminder." She spaced out, thinking for a moment before jumping up.

"Come on dear, it's late, and I'm sure you want to process this news or something. We can talk in the morning more about what we are going to do here, over a nice big breakfast."

"Thank you so much. I'm afraid this is too much to ask. I'm risking you and Noah's lives just by showing up here. I'll leave in the morning."

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed, helping Kristina to her feet. "Like I said, this will wait till morning. Come into the guest room. It's small, but seeing as you only have that backpack, you should be fine."

"I appreciate any bed at this point." She said and chuckled, and Melissa smiled.

"Here you are." Melissa said, pushing open a door into a small room that looked more like a closet. "Don't ask why we even _have_ a guest room, since we don't have any guests. The people who owned this cabin before had it, and all the furniture was already there. Look at me, just talking, talking, talking. I'll leave you to get settled. Goodnight." She said, ruffling her hair the way her mom used to. She used to hate it, but now it was comforting and she missed her mom so much.

Melissa closed the door on the way out.

Kristina flopped over to the bed, tossing the pack aside. Without even pulling back the covers, she threw herself down and fell fast asleep, dreaming about psycho husbands, and babies.

**********

Johnny dragged Lulu painfully deeper and deeper into the woods. They were headed to the cabin that he and Lulu always met at so they could spend some time together alone. Before Anthony Zacchara died and when Lulu's brothers didn't approve, that's where they went, and nobody else ever found out.

He wasn't sure if Lulu recognized the route yet, but he didn't really care, as long as he got what he wanted. He could barely stand this close to her without wanting to throw her down and do her right there.

He held back though, knowing even in his drunken stupor that things wouldn't go as smoothly as he would like. Besides, he was sure Claudia was out looking and he didn't want to take his chances.

Lulu whimpered quietly, walking in such a way that it didn't cause her hip great pain. Johnny was dragging her so that her body was pressed against his, and she wanted to escape. She didn't want to be anywhere near him, ever again.

She tried testing to see if his hold would break, but he seemed relentless and determined. She stopped struggling and surveyed her surroundings.

She actually knew where they were going. _This isn't good, this isn't good. _She repeated to herself.

Almost _**no one**_ knew where this cabin was, and she really didn't want to be in the place alone with Johnny in this state.

She twisted around, and saw that they were approaching the cabin rapidly.

_Shit, shit, shit SHIT._ That was the only coherent thought she could process as she realized her upcoming fate.

She closed her eyes and tried to stop walking, but Johnny just kept right on pulling her along.

She started to drag her feet, leaving the barest trace of a path in the dirt and leaves. Johnny got irritated and lifted her off her feet, cradling her in his arms. He looked down on her with a lovesick look on his face. Lulu turned away, disgusted.

If he was hurt by her resentment, he didn't seem to show it. He walked up to the door of the cabin and kicked it open, refusing to put Lulu down.

Finally realizing that this was really happening, she started struggling with all her might, and mustered up some more energy to scream.

Unsurprisingly, no one came to her rescue.

As they walked inside, the dark seemed to swallow them up.

Johnny placed her on her feet, and she almost collapsed when the weight pressed down on her hip. It was starting to feel at least a little better, but she still didn't want to hurt it anymore.

Johnny reached out and closed the door, taking the last bit of light away.

Lulu stood still, panting. She let her eyes adjust to the dark even though she could walk this place blindfolded.

She listened to Johnny, but he didn't seem to be moving. She saw a bare outline of his shoulders, and he seemed to be hunched over, maybe deep in thought. He didn't seem to know she was in the room.

She hesitantly groped around in the dark for the chair that should be in the corner. There was no way she was sitting on the bed. She wasn't risking it.

Her hands closed around the cool wood and she pulled herself onto it. Her hip was feeling better, she would probably only have a bruise tomorrow. She leaned her head against the wall, keeping her eyes wide open, not that it made much of a difference in the dark.

She wished that Johnny hadn't gotten rid of her cell phone. She really needed it, and she hoped the call to Dominic went through.

She sucked in a breath as Dominic popped into her head. She wished she was here with _him_, not trapped here with Johnny. She imagined him holding her, kissing her…

Her thoughts were broken off as Johnny advanced again. She knew there was a light switch by the door, but he hadn't turned it on.

Even without the lights, she could see the love in his eyes, and a drunken smile on his lips as he staggered towards her.

She started shivering, and stood up from her seat. "Johnny, please, I want to go home."

"And I want you." He said, practically pouncing on her and he started kissing her.

Her hip almost gave out and she tried to stop his tongue from slithering into her mouth. She bit down hard.

He gave a little yelp, jumping back, and then chuckled. "What's with you and biting?" he said, snaking his arms around her. She flinched, though he didn't seem to notice.

"Johnny, I don't want you." She paused before adding, "I want Dominic."

His eyes grew hard at the mention of Dominic. Lulu started squirming, afraid that he would hurt her again. But instead, his arms tightened and he picked her up.

She started yelling, screaming on the top of her lungs. He kissed her in an effort to quiet her. It worked, and she started gagging. He only kissed her harder.

He threw her down on the bed, and she started coughing, wiping her hand across her mouth as if she could scrub the remains of him. She started thrashing about the bed, until he practically threw himself on top of her. Her breath caught with a _whoosh_ and for a moment, she couldn't breathe.

Slowly her breath came back, right before her mouth was covered by Johnny's slobbering. He was groping her, sliding his hands up her leg, close to an area she had no desire for him to touch. She jerked away, but her body was being smothered by his. The closeness of them sent shivers down her spine despite the warmth of their contact.

He started slip her shirt off over her head and she resisted, all the while his tongue prying the inside of her mouth. Finally, she heard fabric tear and her shirt was gone. Johnny slipped out of his and then the contact of their skin. His skin was familiar, but she didn't want it, and Dominic popped into her mind again. _He _was what she wanted.

She turned her head away, gasping for breath and Johnny took the opportunity to unclip her bra. She reached her hands up to cover herself, but he pinned her arms down. He looked down at her in awe. It had been so long since he had seen her, _really_ seen her. She was gorgeous, just like an angel. And she was _**all his.**_

She started bucking her hips since her hands were trapped. He didn't take it as an effort to dislodge him, but as foreplay maybe. She felt him grow hard and felt him shudder. She gagged, extremely disgusted. She stopped moving all together, not sure what to do.

His hands roamed, squeezing her breasts and then traveled down to her jeans, unbuttoning the button. He must have been nervous because he ripped those too.

She held still and tears started falling, smearing he makeup and running down her cheeks and into her ears. She cried silently, and let Johnny do whatever and she seemed to float out of her body. She felt as if she was looking down on her and Johnny. She felt the sheets under her skin, every piece of cotton feeling like razors.

She felt her thong come off and she did nothing. She _couldn't _do anything.

She felt him sigh as he took in her body in the dim light. She felt him kiss all over her body and when he slipped out of his clothes. She felt him begin to enter her body, but she didn't even let out a whimper, even though it hurt so bad. She noticed everything, but she was gone, trying _not_ to take notice of it.

She kept Dominic in her mind, hoping he would come and be her hero again, saving her before she died.

**********

Jax had arrived home early from work and he couldn't wait to curl up on the couch with Carly and Josslyn.

He opened the door softly, in case Josslyn was sleeping. He hung up his jacket in the side closet and set down his briefcase on a chair.

He peered into the living room and was met by Carly's beautiful smile.

"Hey, what are you doing home?" she asked, standing up and going to give him a hug.

"I got off early." He answered, breathing in the sweet scent of her shampoo. He kissed her forehead. "Where's Josslyn?" he asked, concern making his Australian accent more pronounced.

Carly smiled again and said, "She's upstairs sleeping. I just put her down."

As if on cue, Josslyn gurgled in the monitor. They both looked over at the same time, then chuckled.

"Well, think of it this way…" Carly purred. "Now we have some _alone_ time."

"I think I like that idea." He said, falling onto the couch and pulling her onto his lap. She giggled planting a kiss on his lips.

The doorbell rang.

"Every time." Carly, said, breaking the kiss. "You want to get it or should I?"

"No, I'll get it." He said, giving her one more kiss on the lips.

"Go!" she said, laughing.

Jax opened the door with a flourish, a wide smile on his face. "Hi, can I help you?" he asked, before seeing who it was.

"Hello, brother."

**********

"You got to trace this phone call for me." Dominic said, frantically, as Spinelli opened the door.

"What makes this visit so urgent?" Spinelli asked, closing the door and grabbing his laptop immediately.

"I don't have time to explain!" Dominic practically screamed. "Just do it, please." He added trying to calm himself.

Spinelli nodded and took the phone from Dominic, plugging it into the computer, and then began writing away.

Dominic pulled a chair up next to Spinelli and watched while he worked. He tapped his foot and started fidgeting. "Can't you go any faster?" he snapped.

"Well, I'm sure this would be easier if you weren't so close to my vicinity and moving around so much, I could concentrate more." Spinelli pointed out in a rushed voice.

"Sorry, sorry." Dominic said, pushing the chair back and giving Spinelli some room. His furious typing of the keys seemed to calm him, taking him one step closer to finding Lulu. That's all he needed right now.

"Care to explain what is going on? Is it an assignment for Mr. Sir?" Spinelli asked, curious as he let the computer find the coordinates.

Dominic sighed. Saying it out loud made it seem more real, and he was hoping this was just some nightmare. He took a deep breath and began relaying the events. "Lulu's gone."

Spinelli spun around to face him. "The Original Blonde One is gone?"

"Well, I think so anyway. She called me on my phone and I heard her screaming. I don't know what's going on, I just have to find her."

"She could be anywhere from the time she called. She could be moving. She might not be in trouble either." Spinelli pointed out.

"I don't care! I need to find her!" Dominic yelled at him, completely losing his cool. "Don't you get it? I love her!" he cried, then snapped his mouth shut. He rubbed his face wearily. "Just get me the coordinates okay?"

"Indeed I shall." Spinelli said, his voice softening, knowing how he felt, seeing as he felt the same way about Maxie.

The computer beeped a few seconds later.

"Got it." Spinelli said, and Dominic leaped over to the computer.

"Where is she?" Dominic demanded.

"The coordinates seem to indicate that the Blonde One is…" he paused, tapping away. "By the park in the woods, a few blocks over from the Metro Court." Spinelli said, curiously, not putting the pieces together.

But Dominic was halfway out the door. "Thanks Spinelli, I'll call you when I find her."

He made his way to his car, turning the key and starting the engine.

He made his way to the park, tires squealing. He sped off, fearing what he would find.


	21. Back In Town

_**I know this story started off as just a JaSam thing, but I'm really getting into it now. I like how I include everyone, so just bear with me; I promise there will be plenty of everyone you love in the future. Thanks for the reviews!! :]**_

_**************_

Dominic swung his car into a parking spot across the street from the park and jumped out of his car. Crossing the street, he narrowly missed being struck by a car.

He ignored the loud horn sounding behind him and ran through the rot iron gate surrounding the park. He got inside and found it empty.

He stood there, looking around frantically and breathing hard.

It was eerily quiet out, and as he listened to the crickets chirping, he started looking around for any sign-anything- that would help him find her.

"Lulu?" he called out quietly, hesitantly. If Lulu was out there with someone, they might harm her if they knew he was looking for her.

He searched over the park, looking for a cell phone. He searched in the grass, probably looking ridiculous on his knees tearing at the blades of grass. But he didn't care. He needed to hold Lulu in his arms and make sure she was alright. He wanted to kiss her and tell her how scared he was and how glad he was now that she was safe.

_If _she was safe.

He pushed away the ridiculous thought. Of course she was alright. But was she really? Would he really be out searching for her in all hours of the night if he really believed that?

He stood up from the ground, heart and head pounding. He stumbled over to the bench on one side of the park, near the woods, and sat down. Tears sprung to his eyes, and he felt no hope. He sniffled, wiping at his eyes and he came in contact with a phone on the ground.

At first, he stared in shock, then he jumped up and grabbed at the phone. It was partly obscured by leaves and when he picked it up, he could see the screen was cracked.

As he turned it over in his palm, he could tell it was Lulu's phone. He looked through the call list, wanting to make sure that she really did call him. His name glared up at him.

"Shit." He said, closing the phone delicately and placing it in his pocket. He looked around and decided that she was probably in the woods. Sure enough, when he brushed aside some branches, he saw what seemed to be a path snaking its way deep into the woods.

At first, he took off at a brisk walk but it quickly turned into a sprint. He was imagining finding Lulu's body thrown down in the mix of dirt and leaves. It made bile rise in his throat and he ran faster.

He didn't care that he had no clue where he was, he just needed to get to her. Rage burned in his eyes and he knew that if he came face to face with whoever took Lulu, he would kill them.

Even though it was dark, Dominic found the cabin. He froze when he saw it.

She was in there, he could feel it.

**********

Johnny leaned partly over Lulu, stroking her hair and cheek. He was panting and they were both sweating.

During their encounter, Johnny could tell Lulu wanted to resist, and he was sure he hurt her, not intentionally, but she tried her hardest not to cry out. He didn't notice when she began to cry from the pain, he was only indulging his lust.

She hadn't said a word since he finished with her. He was starting to sober up and he realized this was a really bad idea, not that he would take it back. Lulu sure would, but he had enjoyed himself.

He looked down at her and she had a faraway look in her red rimmed eyes. Her face was scrunched up with pain and disgust, but she was still beautiful.

He heard a twig crack from outside the cabin. He wasn't sure if Lulu heard it or not, but she still didn't move.

Johnny sprung into action, picking up his clothes and slipping into them. He thought about dressing Lulu, but thought against it. He had one thought on his mind right now, and that was not getting caught.

He looked out the front window carefully, but didn't see anyone. He wasn't taking his chances though. He walked over to the back and pried open one of the windows. At first, it stuck, not having been opened in years.

He was halfway through the window when he heard a shuffling around the door.

With one last glance at Lulu, he slipped through the window and ran through the woods, fueled by fear.

**********

Dominic tested the door, finding it locked, before he slammed against it, breaking it down.

"Lulu?" he could barely see anything in the dark. He fumbled around the wall for a light switch. He found one but flipped at it uselessly.

He froze when he heard a shuffling from the bed. He saw someone moving.

He flipped the switch and it turned on.

To his horror, Lulu lay on the bed, naked and she was sobbing. She tried sitting up, but couldn't.

"Dominic!" she yelled, crying hard, and holding her arms out to him like a little kid would.

He ran over to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

They held onto each other tightly and they both cried.

Realization hit Dominic, looking at her battered, bruised, and cut body, even bleeding in spots.

Lulu had been raped.

She passed out in his arms.

**********

Elizabeth grabbed the McCall chart of the nurse's desk and hurried over to Sam's room.

She was so stressed. She and Jason hadn't actually seen each other in the longest time. Jake was sick, but it was nothing serious. He and Cam were safely at her Gram's. Maybe she and Jason could get some alone time tonight. She smiled at the thought.

She knocked lightly on the door. It was early and she wasn't surprised when she received no answer. She elbowed her way in, looking down at the chart.

She looked up and gasped, the chart clattering on the floor.

Jason and Sam jumped, awaking from their sleep. Their expressions mirrored each others, wide eyed and mouths agape. Elizabeth's quickly went from surprise to extremely pissed off.

The silence seemed to stretch on forever. Sam untangled her limbs from Jason and cleared her throat.

Jason seemed to recover and threw back the covers, leaping out of the bed.

Sam immediately felt like half of her was missing, a chill creeping into her as soon as he left her. She didn't say anything though, not wanting to make this situation any more awkward.

Elizabeth, tense, bent down to pick up the chart. Jason stepped forward to help her, but then thought better of it and stepped back again.

Elizabeth made her face vacant of expression as she marked something down on the chart. "I wasn't aware that visiting hours started yet." She said, her mouth stretched in a thin line as she tried to keep from screaming. Screaming would only make a big scene, and she didn't need a big scene.

But seriously? She had been missing him for days and then she walks in and finds him _in a bed_ with his _ex_! Wouldn't that seem a little unsettling?

_Of course, it's not the same thing. They are best friends. She probably just needed him because she confused from waking up, and he might understand. _She said to herself, as she checked Sam's vitals.

No matter how she tried to rationalize it, she couldn't get the anger boiling out of her veins.

"Elizabeth, it's not like it seems. It's just…" Jason started to say, but he realized he couldn't think of anything that would make this seem okay.

And the truth was, it _wasn't _okay. He shouldn't have stayed. But he had gotten the best sleep he had had in a while. He _needed _to stay. He just wasn't sure how he could point that out to Elizabeth. To make her see that it was nothing but comfort that they needed. That _was _all they needed wasn't it?

Sam wanted to help out Jason, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Her mind went blank. For a second, she couldn't help but think that this is what Elizabeth deserved since she had stolen Jason from her in the first place, but she shook the thought away. She wished she could tell Liz that it meant nothing, that it wouldn't happen again, that she had no old feelings for him, but all of those would have been lies. So she kept silent. She hoped Jason wasn't regretting coming either. She wasn't sure if she could take rejection on top of everything else.

Elizabeth stopped what she was doing and slammed the chart down on the bedside table. She turned sharply to Jason. "It wasn't what Jason? You tell me, because I am seriously at a loss here." She said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Jason just stared at her, still not finding the words to say.

"I asked him to stay." Sam whispered. She didn't think anyone had heard her, but then Elizabeth whipped around to face her.

"Oh, so you _asked _him to stay. Gosh, I guess he should just drop whatever commitments he has and just jump into bed with you!" her voice was rising with each syllable.

"Oh come on Elizabeth! You know it wasn't like that!" Jason yelled at her, finding his voice. "She needed a friend after waking up from a potential permanent coma. Is that such a bad thing?" he asked, glaring at her. "Would you want to be alone?" he accused.

For a moment Elizabeth remained silent. "You should probably think about hopping into bed with the woman who watched our son get kidnapped." She said, meeting his eyes.

Sam sucked in a breath, and struggled to fight more tears that seemed to want to spill out. She felt as emotional as she would on her period. Stupid coma.

"Did you really have to go there?" Sam said bitterly.

"Yeah, you know what? I did." Elizabeth said forcefully, and Sam could see her eyes shining.

"God Elizabeth, grow up!" Jason snapped. "We put that behind us. No need to bring it up now, when Sam is _trying_ to recover. No thanks to you."

"Just keep sticking up for her, like you always do."

"Always-what? Always stick up for her? You're not making any sense right now." Jason said.

Jason looked over at Sam, who was retreating into herself as she had when she told him about the killer. It was like she was trying to protect herself from all the hurt going on around her. He saw her eyes blink away the tears and she sat, still as stone.

"You know what Elizabeth?" Jason said, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from Sam. All he wanted to do was reach out and hold her like he did last night. Last night had been so utterly and completely perfect. "I decided to help my friend when she needed it. If you can't accept that, then we need to have this conversation later. I want to help Sam. If you can't understand that I'm going to be by her side through this, then…I don't know." He finished, sighing and running a hand tiredly through his hair.

Elizabeth stalked over to where Jason was standing. She got up close to his face. "There's something you're not telling me."

"You're freaking out for no reason." Jason shot back, not backing down.

"I want a different nurse." Sam said, her voice like ice.

Elizabeth held Jason's eyes for a moment more before breaking her gaze. "Right away." Elizabeth said with false politeness.

She walked over to the table where she had slammed down the chart. She picked it up and headed toward the door.

She turned around as if she wanted to say something more, but changed her mind. She flipped her hair once and was gone.

As soon as she was gone, Jason slumped against the wall, burying his face in his hands. He willed this all to go away. He didn't want this to explode like it did. He felt that the worst was still to come. No matter how angry Elizabeth got, she usually didn't like to make it a public affair. Wait till she got him alone…

Jason picked up his head and peered over at Sam.

Her eyes were unfocused, as if she wasn't really in the room. He really did need to help her, whether anyone liked it or not. She needed him, and if he was being honest with himself, he needed her. They were a team, a perfect fit.

The first step they needed to take was getting her out of this hospital.

Jason stepped forward, pushing the Elizabeth crap to the back of his mind, saving it for the huge argument that was no doubt coming later.

"Sam?" he reached out hesitantly, not wanting to startle her too much. As soon as he touched her lightly on the arm, she seemed to come back, but she jerked away.

"I ruin everything. Maybe I deserve to die, maybe the killer is right." Sam said quietly. She sat up in the bed, and got to her feet. She had learned from last time not to do anything to fast and she should be good.

She wanted to walk out of this hospital, to leave this all behind her.

Jason had other ideas. He grabbed her as she teetered to the door. "Where are you going?" he asked her. He tried to guide her back to the bed, but she shook him off.

He sighed and lifted her up, cradling her, her legs falling over the side of his arms. She didn't struggle, probably noticing that it was useless. He sat her on the bed and looked deep into her eyes. She met his gaze unwavering.

"You do not deserve to die, and you don't ruin anything." He paused. "Well, _some_ things." He said, teasing her with a smirk on his face. She awarded him with a small smile. It lit up his world.

"Seriously, disregard everything Liz just said. She doesn't understand what's really going on." He leaned in and whispered in her ear. "I'm going to do everything I can to get you out of here as soon as possible. I will keep you safe."

His breath tickled her ear and she was aware of how close their faces were. If she just turned her head to the side, her lips would be on his. Remembering the Elizabeth drama, she resisted.

Instead she leaned into him, and he supported her, like she knew he would.

He was the one stable, unchanging thing in her life, and it would always be that way.

**********

"Whose at the door Jax?" Carly called out from the living room.

Jax couldn't answer. He stood frozen staring at the form in front of him.

"Aren't you going to invite me in Brother?" Jerry Jax crooned from the threshold.

"Jerry? What are you doing here?" Jax managed to get out, weakly.

"Can I come in?" he asked again, dodging the question.

Jax wordlessly opened the door wider, and Jerry came in.

By this time, Carly had gotten curious and she was standing behind Jax when Jerry came in. "What's going on?" Carly asked Jax, and then her eyes landed on Jerry.

"Get out of my house."

"Gosh, Carly, is that any way to treat your brother in law?" Jerry asked, a glint in his eye.

"Get out of my house!" she yelled furiously in his face.

"Carly, Carly, please." Jax scolded, shutting the door. "Let's talk this out like adults, shall we? And quietly please, Josslyn is sleeping." He reminded Carly.

Carly scoffed, but led the way into the kitchen so their conversation didn't make its way up the stairs.

As they sat at the kitchen table Jerry spoke up. "You see? That is the reason I didn't tell you I was here."

"How long have you been here Jerry?" Jax asked, hoping he was keeping his cool. Inside he was a bundle of nerves.

"A little over a month, I think." He said thoughtfully.

"Where have you been staying then?" Carly asked, wondering how Jerry managed to go unnoticed for quite some time.

"I've been staying at the Metro Court, where else?" he said grinning.

Jax and Carly looked at each other, confusion plain on their faces.

"Oh come on be creative!" he chuckled. "I'm under an assumed name. Phillip something or other. Something like that." He said.

Carly clenched her fists and sat back. She stood up abruptly, knocking back her chair. "I'm going upstairs." She said, unclenching her hands and letting out a deep breath.

Jax watched her go. He knew Carly hated Jerry, and he loved Carly, but Jerry was his brother and he couldn't just ignore him. He wanted to help them both.

"What is it you want this time Jerry?" Jax asked, his face in his hands as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"Why does there always have to be a reason when I stop by Little Brother?" Jerry asked, and Jax could just hear the amusement.

"Because there usually is." He said, standing up and going to stare out the window. "So, what is it this time? Money? What?" he asked, growing tired of this game.

"Listen Little Brother, I came to Port Charles for my own purposes." When Jax turned to him, he could see the evil smirk and glint in his eye.

"Like what?" Jax asked, suspicious.

"None of your concern." Jerry said simply, and got up also. "I will come visit soon, but for now I have my own things to attend to." He walked over to Jax. "It was nice seeing you Brother." He said, giving Jax a hug.]

Jax hugged his brother back, but couldn't get rid of the growing despair that was in his stomach. When Jerry Jax comes back to town, you better run and hide because things could get ugly.

When the hug was broken, Jax escorted Jerry out the door.

With a slight wave, he was gone.

Jax closed the door and sighed, leaning against the door heavily. He had no clue what to do. Jerry always complicated his life whenever he showed up, and he didn't expect this time to be different.

Jax heard Josslyn cooing in the baby monitor and listened as Carly's footsteps went into her room.

For now he would forget about the terror that was mounting.

He would spend time with his family and protect them, no matter what the cost, he thought as he made his way up the stairs to join his wife and baby.


	22. Hero

"_**It's a dangerous love affair…"**_

_**************_

Johnny banged through the door of his apartment, the next day. He had hid out at random places, staying as far away from the park and the Metro Court as he could. Since he had forgotten where he had left the car, he had walked home.

Claudia had jerked awake when he swung open the door. She looked awful, like she hadn't gotten any sleep at all.

"John!" she exclaimed, jumping off the couch and throwing herself into his arms. "I was so worried. I went looking for you and no one had seen you. Nicholas even helped me look after I met him at the pier-"

Claudia was talking so fast it made his head spin. "Wait." He interrupted her. "Nicholas, as in Nicholas Cassidine?" he asked her incredulously. "What were you doing with him?" he asked, shedding his jacket and flopping down on the couch. He was exhausted.

"That doesn't matter. You need to tell me where you were. And you can't just run off like that. God John, what's the matter with you?"

"Claudia, I'm not 8 years old anymore. I can take care of myself." He said, scoffing, though he secretly appreciating her concern.

"Oh, yeah I can see that. Because going on constant drinking binges and disappearing for the night is exactly normal behavior." She snapped, and he could tell she had really been worried.

Johnny shrugged, getting up of the couch with a considerable amount of effort. He made his way into his bedroom, wanting to go to bed, even though it was halfway through the day. Claudia followed on his heels.

"So are you going to tell me where you went?" she asked, obviously getting irritated.

"No, I don't think so." He said, knowing the answer would get under her skin. "I'm going to take a shower, so a little privacy if you don't mind." He said, looking at her pointedly.

Claudia threw up her hands in exasperation. "Fine, excuse me for caring for my brother's well being. Don't come crying to me anymore." She said as she stomped off.

Watching her, he started laughing, forgetting that any second, police could come storming through the doors to arrest him.

He took his time in the shower, enjoying the warm feeling on his skin. It reminded him of Lulu, but then again, what didn't these days?

He toweled off and dressed, wanting to get to bed. But when he went into his bedroom, he found he couldn't sleep.

He walked into the living room to find Claudia staring blankly at the TV. It was flipped on a random station, and she didn't really appear to be watching it.

He sat down beside her, pretending not to notice when she moved away. He grabbed the remote and flipped it to the news.

Claudia glared at him. "I was watching that." She snapped.

"My house." He said, teasing her, but she wasn't in the mood. He remembered when they were younger how they fought over the TV. One time they got so loud that their father came in and screamed at them. They used to joke about it afterwards, but they never fought loudly over the TV again.

He hoped Claudia didn't notice how nervous he was, as he anticipated Lulu's face coming up on the screen, his beside hers. He wondered how Claudia would react, knowing that her brother raped a poor girl.

His palms started sweating and he rubbed them constantly on his jeans.

He finally relaxed when the news came to an end. There was no mention of any rapes at all. This confused him. He could have sworn someone was at the cabin when he left. Someone _had_ to have found her by now. Either that or she crawled out and found someone. Either way, anyone would have gone to the police. And seeing as Lulu knew who had raped her, this was sure to be a pretty quick case.

Then why no mention of it on the news…

He reminded himself to go check the cabin the next chance he got. The thought of Lulu lying there alone made his stomach turn, but he hadn't wanted to get caught.

Besides, Lulu had made it clear she didn't want him anymore. He couldn't understand what was holding her back from running to the police.

He shrugged, throwing down the remote into Claudia's lap as he made his way into the kitchen, wanting something to eat. Alcohol was all he had in his stomach, and even that was wearing out.

He opened the fridge and saw the dinner Claudia had worked so hard to make sealed away in Tupperware. Guilt washed over him, and he took down two plates.

He filled them both with the food and micro waved them. He carried one in each hand as he went back into the living room. He resumed his seat by Claudia, who had changed the station to _America's Top Model._

He handed her a plate and she looked at him and smiled. He knew he was forgiven.

He smiled back and dug into his food. It was actually really good, almost as if he were eating it right out of the oven. He wolfed it down so fast; he burned his mouth because he hadn't waited for it to cool down.

As he sat there, he couldn't help but notice hoe _normal_ everything seemed. It was a feeling he enjoyed, and not one he had often.

To think he might have blown his last normal moments to bits for one night…

**********

Dominic had managed to get Lulu into his room without being questioned by anyone. She was still passed out, and he knew he should probably take her to the hospital, or the police, but he was scared, and he was unsure of what to do next.

He had laid her on the bed, slipping her into some of his sweats, seeing as he clothes were nothing but tattered rags.

He sat in a chair in the corner, watching her, making sure she was okay. He couldn't believe this was real. This was really happening. He was still trying to wrap his head around it.

He leaned forward when Lulu's eyelids fluttered weakly. They were all bruised, and her face was all marked up. He couldn't help but think how _wrong_ it was. Her beautiful face, who would do such a thing?

"Lulu?" he whispered, shaking her gently, trying not to touch any bruises or reopen any wounds.

At the contact, her eyes shot open with a look of panic and she shied away, whimpering.

"No, no. It's Dominic, I'm not going to hurt you." He said, soothingly. It hurt him so much to see her act this way. He needed to call in a doctor.

She seemed to relax at his voice, but she didn't completely relax her guard. As she became more aware, she looked at him intensely.

"You saved me." She said, and her voice sounded so small.

"I wish I had." He said, sighing. "Look, I'm going to call GH and I'll see what they can do. We can go to the police when you're feeling stronger." He said, and he picked up his cell phone.

The panicked expression returned and she grabbed at his arm, "No! No police. No hospital." She sounded barbaric, but she didn't care. She was still trying to process what happened. She was petrified, and she started shivering, recalling what had happened. She started sobbing.

"Hey, hey." Dominic rushed over to her, and tried to comfort her, but she screamed every time he tried to touch her. He hid his hurt, knowing that her rejection had nothing to do with him.

He knew that Lulu wanted no one involved, but he couldn't leave her in this state. Suddenly, he had an idea. He picked up his cell phone again and dialed the hospital.

"Hi, can I speak to Dr. Scorpio please?"

**********

Spinelli hobbled through the doors of the elevator on his crutches, nearly knocking over Robin Scorpio as she rushed. She seemed distracted and in a terrible hurry.

"Pardon me." He said, moving out of her way.

"Sorry Spinelli." She said, and meant it. "I was just on my way out."

"It is now trouble." He said, giving her a smile as he made his way to the waiting area. As he sat down, he looked around eagerly for the one nurse he wanted to see. _The Angel of Mercy._

When he turned around, he came face to face with Epiphany's disapproving eyes. "Mr. Spinelli, what are you doing here?" she huffed.

"I am here for my acquired check up for my infected wound on my foot." He said. Being around Epiphany always made him uncomfortable.

"Well, it might be awhile before someone has time to get to you. If you don't mind waiting." The tone she used made it clear that it didn't matter, even if he _did_ mind.

"I need to be sure that I will be seen by the Angel of Mercy." He said, grabbing Epiphany's arm as she was walking away.

"Angel of- Let go of me Mr. Spinelli. And sit down and wait your turn!" she snapped, turning and heading back to her station.

**A/N: Epiphany is SO funny on GH, almost every scene with her in it makes me laugh. Sorry, just had to throw that out there. :]**

Spinelli sat back, embarrassed.

He waited only a short time when there came a light tap on his left shoulder. "Hey Mister Jackal." Someone said in a playful tone.

He would recognize that voice anywhere. "Angel of Mercy, I was beginning to think you weren't here." He said, turning to her and grinning.

"Yeah, I was put back on the McCall case, and things were running a bit slow. She is taking some more time to adjust then we thought. Anyway, right this way and we can get you checked out."

Claire helped him to his feet and he entered a little room as she held the curtain open for him.

"Hop right up here." She said, patting the small bed in the middle of the room. Spinelli complied. "Anything for the Angel of Mercy." He swooned.

She smiled as she took of the bandages. "Looks like the wound has cleared up. It's no longer infected."

"Well isn't that a miracle." He said, and they both chuckled.

"You should be able to start walking around without the crutches now, but you're free to keep them for a while longer if you need them." Claire said, folding up his chart.

Spinelli got down gently down from the bed and tenderly put pressure on his foot. He took a couple of steps before slipping. Claire pitched forward to help him stand back up. Her face was inches from his.

They looked into each other's eyes, a passion flaming between them so intense they could both feel it.

"Follow me." She said in a husky voice. The Jackal complied.

They made their way unnoticed to an abandoned supply closet.

"No one will notice if I go missing for a few minutes." She giggled, going inside.

Spinelli had a goofy grin on his face as he looked around to see if anyone had seen, before Claire grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him in with her.

The Jackal emerged a new man.

**********

"Whoa, easy girl." Mike Corbin called out, reaching out a hand to steady Robin as she crashed into him.

"Oh Mike, I'm so sorry!" Robin said, looking up at him. "That's the second person I barreled into today. I'm just in a hurry." She said apologetically.

"It's no problem. What brings you here today? Can I get you anything?" Mike asked, kind as always.

"Oh, no thanks, not today Mike. I'm here for…" Robin tried to think of en excuse, seeing as Dominic had told her to keep it a secret.

Mike looked at her curiously.

"Well, I need to go upstairs." She said, hoping he wouldn't give her too much trouble.

"Oh, sure, go on up." He said, his smile returning and he went to serve some customers that had walked through the door.

Robin sighed in relief and looked around to see if anyone was watching her. Feeling satisfied, she turned and scuttled up the stairs.

A musty smell hit her nostrils and the whole place seemed deserted it was so quiet. She walked swiftly, her footsteps seemingly loud to her ears.

She walked a short way when she came to the room. She rapped on the door and stood back, waiting for an answer.

She heard a shuffling and then the door opened a crack. She could barely make out Dominic's face. "It's Robin." She said.

The door opened wider and he stepped back so she could enter. She had barely made it inside when he snapped the door shut again with a sharp crack.

She flinched in surprise and then her eyes fell on the form on the bed.

_Oh my God…_

She was dumbfounded, at a loss. She pitched forward and she would have fallen straight on her face if Dominic hadn't reached out and caught her.

"Robin!" he called out in shock.

"What happened?" she managed to choke out as she straightened herself. She tried her best to avoid looking at the broken form on the bed, but her eyes were unexplainably drawn to her. Her mind formulated all the things that could have happen, and they all scared her.

"Before I explain anything, you have to promise that you can't say anything to anyone. Please." He begged her.

"I'm already here aren't I? You have my word." She swore.

Dominic nodded. "I'm not positive about what happened, because I arrived after, but I think it's pretty obvious that Lulu got…raped." He got stuck on the word. Robin could see how hard this was on him. Her heart broke for him.

"That's awful." She said, not being able to come up with anything else. It was far worse than that, and Lulu of all people didn't deserve it. It would hurt her more, since that was exactly what happened to her mother years before.

"I found her in a cabin in the woods by the park near the Metro Court." He said, wanting to get everything into the open. "I didn't see anyone in there, but there was a window open. I was mostly focused on saving Lulu." He admitted. "She passed out right in my arms and I brought her here because I didn't know what else to do. She woke up not long after we arrived here. I told her I wanted to bring her to the hospital and call the cops, but she resisted. I didn't want to pusher into anything. So I thought to call you. I'm not sure what you can do, but please I need your help." He finished, and he rubbed his eyes. He had been up all night looking for her and he needed some rest, but he wouldn't. He wouldn't leave Lulu again.

Without waiting for a response from Robin, Dominic went over and sat down next to Lulu. Robin noticed that Lulu was actually awake; she thought she was sleeping when she had walked in. Dominic went to her side and took one of her battered hands and pressed it to his lips, never taking his eyes of her face. She looked at him with adoration, love, and _fear._

Robin sighed and went over to the other side of the bed. She wasn't exactly sure how to approach this situation. She sat down gingerly on the edge of the bed. "Hey Lulu, it's me Robin." She said softly.

Lulu looked at her warily, and tried moving closer to Dominic, but it caused her pain. Tears started forming in her eyes. Robin's heart tore and she jumped off the bed, not wanting to cause her to suffer anymore.

"Lulu, sweetie, it's Robin. She won't hurt you. I called her here to help us." He said, brushing the tears away with his thumb. He talked to her in a soothing voice until she calmed down. He motioned for Robin to try again.

"I want to help you, Lulu. I swear I won't hurt you." She said, not sure if it made her feel any better. She supposed that if Dominic trusted her, then Lulu would too. She turned to Dominic. "I'm going to have to take her into the bathroom to check her out. That way when I'm done, I'll just wash her up. There isn't much I can do, though. I want to make sure there is not permanent damage."

"Yeah, I'll wait out here." He said. "I'll call Maxie and ask her to drop off some of Lulu's clothes." He looked at Lulu. He took her scratched and bloody face in both of his hands, so gently, she didn't even flinch. "Robin will take care of you. Trust me."

"Can she walk?" Robin asked, not sure if she should talk to Dominic or Lulu.

"No, not really. I'll carry her in." Dominic answered.

He placed his hands delicately under her and lifted her. She cried out and Robin saw spots of blood form on the outside of the oversized t-shirt she was wearing. "Easy!" she called out. "You're opening wounds." She warned.

Dominic didn't really hear her. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." He kept repeating to Lulu. He hated causing her pain. One tear slid down his cheek.

Fortunately he made it to the bathroom without breaking down. Robin followed behind him. "Where should I put her?" he asked sniffling. Robin pretended not to notice.

"Um, would you be too uncomfortable sitting on the toilet cover?" she asked. The bathroom was small and left her with such little space to work with. And nowhere would be comfortable enough for her right now.

Lulu nodded her consent and Dominic let her slide from his arms to the seat. She tried making herself comfortable and she seemed to find a spot that allowed her less pain.

Dominic turned to leave and call Maxie but stopped when Lulu cried out.

He whipped back around and was by her side in a heartbeat. He kneeled by her. "I'll be right outside. I promise." He said.

She closed her eyes and he stood up, kissing her on the top of her head. "Take care of her." He said to Robin before he walked out and closed the door. She knew he wouldn't go far. He heard his voice as he started talking to Maxie.

"Alright Lulu, I'll make this quick." She went over to her and slipped the shirt over her head. She pulled some gloves out of the pocket of her doctor clothes. "This is going to be pretty uncomfortable for the both of us." She said sympathetically.

"No more uncomfortable then what happened to me." Lulu spoke for the first time. Her voice chilled Robin, who remained silent, not sure what to say.

Lulu closed her eyes as Robin checked her out, but every time she closed her eyes, the images came back. She decided to keep her eyes open. She wished Dominic would come back.

After she was done checking her, she filled the bathtub and helped her climb in. Every time she moved, it triggered new wounds. Robin helped her wash up, and no matter how much pain she was in, Lulu didn't make a sound. No pain could compare to what she had just gone through.

Lulu had grabbed a facecloth and scrubbed furiously at the wounds, irritating them even more. She wanted to scrub every last trace of him from her body. She stopped, coming out of her daze when Robin screamed at her.

Robin helped her out of the bath when they were finished, putting Dominic's shirt back on her. It smelled just like him, and she buried her nose in it while Robin rooted through the medicine cabinet for disinfectant.

Robin cleaned the wounds out and they stung so much. She just gritted her teeth and waited for it to be over.

Sure enough when Robin was through, she told Lulu to sit back down on the toilet seat and then she opened the door and called for Dominic.

Apparently, Maxie had come while she was in the bathroom. Dominic handed Robin the bag of clothes and Robin closed the door again. They both struggled to get the clothes onto her, but they managed. Lulu wondered how Dominic had explained this all to Maxie.

When they were finished, Dominic came back into the bathroom and picked up Lulu to bring her back to the bed. His arms barely touched her and she knew that he didn't want to hurt her. She was so grateful to Dominic.

When he set her down, he remained there for a moment, burying his face in her freshly washed hair.

He got back up and turned to Robin. "Thank you so much. I can't even express how grateful I am to you right now. I still have your word that you won't say anything right?"

"You have my word." She promised. "I should get back to work before everyone starts calling to find out where I disappeared to." She sighed, picking up her purse from the floor. "I'm so sorry this happened to you Lulu." Lulu merely nodded.

Dominic escorted to Robin to the door. She leaned in before leaving and said in a hushed voice. "Be careful with her, in the emotional sense as well as the physical sense. Call me if you have any questions. I'll come right over."

"Thanks again." he said in the same quiet voice.

Robin turned, and flew down the stairs faster then she had come up them.

She felt as if a heavy burden was on her shoulders, and she wasn't sure if keeping this a secret was the right thing.

**********

Alexis was just pulling her coat on to go visit Sam when the doorbell rang.

"Of course." She sighed irritated as she pulled open the door.

She came face to face with none other than Jerry Jax. Her blood turned to ice.

"Well, hello there. Going somewhere?" he asked, lightly pushing past her to get inside.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" she stuttered.

"I couldn't come into town without dropping by to visit the love of my life." he said, smiling in the way that made her stomach fill with butterflies.

"And that would be me?" she asked, still slow on the uptake.

He raised his eyebrows at her. "Who else?" he asked.

"Oh, well we were together years ago Jerry. We're done now. And as a matter of fact, I was going somewhere. To meet Sam." She said, realizing too late her mistake.

**A/N: In this story, Jerry and Alexis were together as teenagers. Keep that in mind. ;]**

"Ah, Sweet Sam. It's been so long since I've seen her too. Mind if I accompany you?" he asked, heading back towards the door.

"Well, yes kind of." She said, scowling. Now she would have to explain everything. She took a deep breath. "Sam is at the hospital Jerry."

Jerry didn't seem all too surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is she alright?" he asked.

"She just woke up from a coma yesterday, so I'm going to visit her. So if you don't mind…" she said, walking out the door and closing it behind both of them. "Come see me another time, or preferably not." She said as she made her way to her car.

He grabbed her arms as she reached out to open the car door handle. He slid his hand up her arm and it sent tingles through her whole body. She hated that he could still have this effect on her.

She turned around to face him and his face was only inches from hers. "I'll see you soon. You can count on that." He breathed, and then he was gone, taking off down the driveway.

She leaned against the car, trying to catch her breath and calm down. She tried putting all thoughts off Jerry out of her mind as she sped off to the hospital to finally see her eldest daughter.

Why was he back?

Oh, this wasn't good.

**********

He crashed through his place, flinging things everywhere. Glass trinkets shattered on the ground. He tore the place apart all because of the news he had found out.

He stopped, leaning his hands on an overturned table. He calmed his breath and stood in silence.

_Sam was awake. _

It almost set him off again, but he held his control.

He knew he shouldn't have waited this long to kill her off, now that she was awake, it would complicate things.

He had waited this long, well he was going to have to wait a little longer.

He had made up his mind.

Once Sam was out of the hospital, he would make his move, sending the residents of Port Charles into a tailspin.

He chuckled darkly.

Soon, Sam McCall would be gone.


	23. Love or Not?

"_**The smell of your skin lingers on me now…"**_

_**************_

By the time Alexis made it to General Hospital, she had managed to mostly compose herself. She hustled to Sam's room; she couldn't wait to see her daughter.

The door was open and a blonde girl was fussing with Sam's monitors. Then Alexis' eyes fell on her daughter's face, full of life, and she lost it.

"Hi, Mom." Sam said, almost shyly, when she saw her mom in the doorway. "Come in." she said, gesturing.

"Oh, honey." Alexis exclaimed, and ran over to hug Sam, bawling her eyes out.

"Miss me, Mom?" Sam said, trying to lighten the mood, but she had tears in her eyes as she hugged her mom back.

They finally broke off their hug and Claire cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"Oh, Claire, I'm sorry." Sam said, wiping her eyes. "Claire, this is my mother, Alexis Davis. Mom, this is Claire. She helps take care of me."

"Pleased to meet you." Alexis hiccupped.

"Same to you." Claire gave one of her dazzling smiles. "I'll leave you two by yourselves. I'll send Dr. Drake in soon, so he can talk and explain everything to you." With that, Claire excused herself, leaving mother and daughter alone.

Sam shifted awkwardly on the bed. "Um, why don't you grab a seat or something?" Sam said, already feeling weird by being left alone.

"Oh, sure." Alexis smiled, and grabbed a chair, much like she had every time she visited Sam. Only this time, Sam was awake and recovering. Sam could see her eyes were still shining with tears.

"You look good sweetie." Alexis said, smiling at her.

"Oh please Mom, I look like crap." Sam chuckled.

"I hate that this happened to you." Alexis blurted out.

"Yeah, me too… me too." Sam thought that in that moment, she was going to spill everything to her mom. About the killer, how it wasn't an accident that she was put in this coma, about Jason; but she couldn't. She wouldn't put her mom in that kind of danger, and she probably wouldn't believe her anyway.

"I'm so happy you're awake baby." Alexis sighed, taking Sam's hand and snapping her out of her thoughts. No, she wouldn't tell her. Not yet.

"I know, same here." Sam agreed quietly. "I can't wait to get out of here!" she said, collapsing back on the pillows.

"Soon enough, you just have to heal, that's all." Alexis gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Yeah, that's what everyone keeps telling me." Sam grumbled. "I feel fine, just… disoriented I guess." Sam said, squeezing her hand back.

There was a long silence.

"Listen sweetheart, I know we haven't been close but…"

There it was. Sam knew her Mom would bring something like this up. She didn't want to deal with all this, on top of everything else.

"But, coming so close to losing you made me realize how much I would have missed you if you were really…gone. You are my oldest daughter and… I guess I'm just trying to say, I… I regret not spending a lot of time and getting to know you." Alexis struggled with emitting her feelings. She wasn't sure if Sam got it, but she needed her to know.

"I get what you mean, Mom." Sam sighed. "Being in this coma, it changed me. It made me realize how much I value my life, and I don't want to die anytime soon. Now you know how much I tried to win your approval growing up. Mom, I couldn't be perfect anymore. I loved you so much, and that's why it hurt so much when you pushed me away." Sam stayed strong, even as she saw her mother's stricken expression.

"I'm not blaming you, Mom. I was just as much at fault. The way I acted, I guess I wanted to show I could handle things myself, that I didn't need you. But I DID need you. And you didn't realize that my act was meant to bring us closer, but it did the exact opposite."

Now they were both getting pretty emotional. They looked at each other, understanding passing between them.

Sam still hadn't gotten her point across yet…

"I forgive you Mom, and… I'm sorry."

Alexis got off her chair and hugged Sam tightly. "I'm so sorry. Thank you for finally forgiving me."

She sat back down, and wiping away her tears, she said, "When you get out of here, I'm going to try and be there for you. I know it doesn't make up for my past mistakes, but I can try."

"It's okay Mom, its over." Sam said, now wanting to drop the matter. She smiled at her mom.

"I have so much to tell you." They both said at the same time.

"You first." Sam said, not wanting to lie to her mother about her problems now.

"Well, do you remember me telling you that Kristina ran away?"

Sam shook her head solemnly. That was another secret that she needed to keep.

"I haven't heard from her, not that I expected to. She left me a note saying not to contact the police, but Mac and I are doing a little search party of our own. But we haven't turned up anything. I don't know why she would even run away; it seemed out of the blue. I got one of my daughters back, now I want the other one. Does that seem selfish?" Alexis asked, hanging her head in shame.

"Not at all." Sam was about to open her mouth and spill why Krissy had left but she was saved by a knock on the door.

Alexis whipped around.

"Patrick, come on in." Alexis said, composing herself again, and standing up.

"How are you feeling Sam?" Patrick asked, as he shut the door behind him.

"Fine...confused, and disoriented I guess." She said sheepishly. She was still ashamed at what she had done before, and she hadn't told her mother.

"Well, that's to be expected. Hopefully, we can clear things up." Patrick said, setting down his chart, and leaning against the wall after giving a once over at her monitors.

Sam looked at her mother, needing support. Alexis moved closer and took her hand again.

"Alright, I think we should start at the beginning." Patrick said. "Do you remember anything about how you came to be here?"

Sam searched her thoughts. She wasn't sure if she should give him the original version, or the one where the killer pushed her. She was one hundred percent sure that the killer had pushed her now. But she wasn't sure if anyone else besides Jason would believe her.

She shook her head. "At first, I didn't remember a thing. But then it started coming back to me..." Sam started off. "I fell into the water at the pier right?"

"Well, that's what we are pretty sure happened. Do you remember anyone being there with you that night?" Patrick asked, folding his hands.

Sam's hands grew cold and clammy and she started sweating. Fearing her mother would notice, she carefully slid her hand from her grasp, ignoring the hurt and confused look as her mother stepped back. "No, no one was there." Sam said in a quiet voice.

Patrick didn't say anything for a moment, then, "Do you remember how you got to the hospital?"

Sam furrowed her brow, honestly trying to remember that part, but it was like pushing against a blank wall. She shook her head, disappointed.

"Oh." Patrick said, maybe happy he could share some news. "Lucky brought you in. He dove in the water when he saw you and helped you cough some water up. He called an ambulance from the pier. You probably wouldn't remember; he said you were unconscious."

Sam had stopped listening at the mention of Lucky's name. "He saved my life." she whispered.

"Actually, yes he did." Patrick said.

This made her feel worse about having Jason here over night. She owed more to Lucky, and Jason wasn't a big part of her life anymore. She would have to make him understand that. This was supposed to be a good thing, realizing that it was lucky, NOT Jason that she wanted in her life.

But then why did she have a dreadful feeling in her chest?

"So, your memory doesn't seem too much affected." Patrick said, pleased with the results. "Now I want to talk about the…episode we had when you first woke up." Patrick said.

His words rang hollow inside her dread filled chest. She looked over at her Mom. Her expression was hard to read, but one eyebrow was cocked and there was a question on her lips.

"What episode?" Alexis asked.

"I didn't realize you hadn't told her." Patrick sighed, turning to Alexis. "Coma patients are expected to wake up disoriented and confused, but Sam's reaction was a bit…curious."

Alexis' face paled.

Patrick rushed on to speak, noticing her reaction. "She woke up screaming things like 'He's coming for me' and 'I have to get out of here.' She had dropped a glass of water on the floor and she tried to get out of bed to run out of the room. She fell on the glass, explaining these cuts." He said, drawing back the sheets and showing Sam's heavily bandaged legs and arms. "We had to sedate her, and we did some tests. We still aren't sure what caused the reaction, which made me think that there was more to this story then she was telling us." Patrick said, looking once more at Sam.

Sam hung her head, betraying nothing. Patrick looked away and focused on Alexis, who looked a bit green.

"Please sit down." Patrick said, helping her into the seat. "This isn't something that needs to be dealt with unless episodes like this continue, but we can talk about these things in private." He said, and Alexis nodded, though she seemed a bit spacey.

There was a few beats of silence and then Patrick cleared his throat. "We want to start Sam on some physical therapy and I think a session or two with Lainey should help the healing process nicely. If she progresses as fast as she has been, then she can be out of here at three weeks minimum." Patrick said, grabbing his chart. "Excuse me but I have some other patients."

At the door, he turned back to Alexis. "If you have any questions or concerns, call me." He said, and then was gone.

The door shut with a small click that echoed through Sam's head.

"I hate it when doctors talk about patient's right in front of them." Sam snapped, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

Alexis was still staring off in space, a horrified look on her face.

Sam was lost in her thoughts too. _Three weeks_ kept resounding against her skull.

"Mom, what is your problem? I thought you would be happy or something, not acting like this." Sam inquired, a bit peeved.

Alexis turned to her, emitting only a sentence.

"Jerry is back."

**********

It was a few more minutes of awkward conversation later, there came an unexpected visitor.

_Knock, knock._

Sam's head whipped toward the door, anything to be saved from this. Her face lit up. "Lucky, hi." Then her face fell from guilt, recalling her recent encounters with Jason.

"Sam." He breathed. He was holding a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, and he was looking at her with such adoration and love that she just wanted to break down and cry right there. They both momentarily forgot that Alexis was even in the room.

Sam cleared her throat, trying to find her voice to speak. "Come on in." she squeaked.

"Lucky, it's nice to see you again." Alexis said, and seeming by the way she jumped out of her seat, she hadn't been enjoying the last bit of their visit either. "I had my visit with her, I'll leave you guys alone." She said, slipping on her coat.

She made her way to Sam, kissing her forehead. But what should have seemed like a loving gesture made Sam flinch.

"Bye Sam, I love you."

"Love…you too." Sam managed to choke out. She wasn't sure why she was acting this way towards her mother. But every time she looked at her, Jerry's haunting face popped into her mind. Right now she had the overwhelming feeling of needing to be alone and focus on her thoughts. Thoughts she wouldn't ever be able to share with anyone.

Anyone except…Jason. This made her stomach turn even more, somersaulting with the secrets she was keeping from the people she shouldn't be. She trusted the one person she shouldn't.

Her mind was reeling. She wasn't sure what was going on, and she felt dizzy. Her heart monitor beside her began to beep frantically.

She tried to control her breathing and Lucky rushed to her side, dropping the flowers on one of the nearest tables.

"Sam, Sam are you alright?" Lucky said, brushing some stray hair away from her sweaty forehead. "Say something, please." He waited then said, "I'm going to get a doctor." He said nervously, moving away.

"No! No, Lucky I'm fine sorry." She shook her head, clearing her mind of Jerry, killers, Jason and her mother. She focused on this moment, right here, right now.

"I'm so happy to see you." She said, grinning at him.

He moved closer, smiling at her so big that the dark circles under his eyes seemed to disappear. He had really worried about her when she was in that coma. She was riding a constant sea of guilt. She tried to push Jason back out of her mind. She didn't want him, or need him. But the harder she tried, the more his smirking face kept appearing in her mind.

Lucky, unaware of her thoughts, pulled her to him. Gathering her in his arms, he kissed her forehead, then her cheeks and traveled down to her lips. He kissed her, and it showed how much he missed her.

When he pulled back, they were both breathing hard.

"Missed you too." Sam said, smirking.

He chuckled, a sound she had honestly missed. She wasn't sure how much pain she caused him while she was gone, but she was sure it would be worse if he ever found out about the Jason thing.

She patted the bed beside her. "Come sit."

"Don't mind if I do." he said, and hopped lightly on the bed. She leaned into his warm, lean body and sighed. She couldn't help but be reminded of Jason being in this bed with her only hours ago.

He held her close, and their breathing matched each others. It calmed her, much more then she had since this whole mess started.

"Thank you so much for saving my life Lucky." She said drowsily. "I would be dead if it wasn't for you."

"I say it was fate, I was at the right place at the wrong time. If I wasn't working late for the PCPD, I wouldn't have seen you." He sighed. "I swear, when I saw you, I felt like my whole world was crushed. My blood ran cold, and my legs threatened to give out. But I had to save you. That was the one thought in my mind."

Lucky shivered, plagued by memories of that night, when she barely had any. She held him closer.

"Well no matter the reason you were there, you saved my life. I owe you, big." She smiled.

"Trust me, when you get out of here, you can repay your debt." He said coyly, nuzzling into her neck.

She giggled and gave in to his touch.

They talked some more, and were interrupted by his work phone buzzing.

He pulled it out of his pocket, scowling. Looking at the screen, he sighed. "Mac needs me." His scowl turning to one of interest. "There has been a murder, but there's more? I have to go down and check it out." He turned to her. "I'm so sorry."

"No, it's fine, go. You can tell me all about it later." She said, disguising her distress at the mention of a murder. It probably has nothing to do with her, but her gut told her otherwise.

He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her plump lips. "See you later." He whispered into her mouth.

"See you."

He exited the door and she was left alone, like she wanted to before.

But why did she feel like someone was watching her?

**********

Robin had returned to the hospital after her "visit" with Dominic. She was far more jumpier than usual, and was a complete mess; dropping thins all over the place, already earning her a few glares from Epiphany.

Patrick, her endearing husband, noticed. She had been acting like this since she returned from wherever it was she had left to go, and he wanted to find out what was wrong. He just hoped she wouldn't give him a hard time.

He came up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She yelped and whipped around, sending a stack of charts crashing to the floor. She relaxed when she saw it was only Patrick. She shook away from his hand and bent down to get the charts.

But Patrick was nothing if not persistent. He joined her, ignoring Epiphany's remarks about how all the doctors in this place were going off their rockers.

"Alright, what's going on?" he questioned her in a quiet voice as they both stood up, straightening up the charts and setting them down.

"Nothing why would you say that?" she asked, feigning innocence, but Patrick knew otherwise.

"Come with me." He said, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him to a secluded supply closet.

"Why are we here?" she asked as he turned on the overhead light.

"Patrick got right down to the point. "Where did you go before?" he inquired.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, crossing her arms across her chest.

Patrick sat down so that he was almost level at Robin's eyes. "Yes, you do. It wasn't time for your break, and you left with supplies, plus your name was on the sign out sheet. Who were you helping?" he said.

"Oh so now your checking up on me?" she asked harshly, trying and failing to redirect the conversation.

"Was it one of Sonny's goons who got shot and precious Sonny asked you not to say anything? Maybe Jason called you over to his place?" Patrick knew this was a low blow, but he just wanted to help his wife.

Robin glared coldly at him. "I don't have to tell you anything."

"Robin, come on, I just want to help you. You're acting like a nervous wreck out there." He said, taking her hands in his and stroking them lightly. He saw her eyes soften.

"I'm not supposed to tell anyone." She said quietly.

"I'm not just anyone Robin, I'm your _husband_. I get to know these things. Especially if it has to do with a gangster."

"It wasn't a gangster, at least, not the one you're thinking of." She said, and then shut her mouth, realizing that she was close to spilling the real reason for leaving. But she could trust Patrick right?

"So, not Sonny or Jason, but who then? I'm just worried about you, and I want to help." He said, knowing she was close to cracking. He felt bad about this, but he was sure she would feel better if she told someone what was going on.

She sighed slipping her hand from his. She looked him squarely in the face. "It was Dominic."

"Dominic Pirelli?" he asked. He knew a secret about him, and he really hoped Robin didn't know the same one.

She nodded. "He called me over to his place and you'll never guess who was there."

Patrick shrugged his shoulders, at a loss.

"Lulu."

"And why is that such a big deal? They are dating aren't they?"

"True, but he called me over for a specific reason. He went on to explain the story of how he had found Lulu in an abandoned cabin, beat up and raped." She said coldly. "He brought her to his house when she passed out in his arms and when she woke up, she didn't want anyone to know about it. So he called me. I checked her out, cleaned her up. He asked me not to tell anyone. So I helped, and I left." She finished.

Patrick stood there in surprise, recalling how Lulu's father had raped her mother.

"She looked so broken, Patrick. And Dominic cares so much about her. They are both hurting." Robin's face fell.

Patrick reached over and pulled her close to him. Robin always learned to care about so much. She had such a big heart, and it was one of the reasons he loved her so much. He hoped it was a trait their daughter, Emma, grew up with. He would be devastated if something this horrific happened to either Emma or Robin. He could only imagine the pain Dante was going through right now.

"So should I really keep this a secret? Or maybe I should tell Lucky, since he is Lulu's brother and on the PCPD." Robin asked, clearly at a loss of what to do.

"Leave it for now, since that's a secret he asked you to keep." Patrick said after some thought. "Now I have something to tell you. But you have to keep this secret also." He said, knowing he could trust his wife with this. At least he hoped he could.

Robin looked up at him with her warm, trusting brown eyes. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you here." He said, averting his eyes from her scrutinizing stare. Those loving brown eyes would soon hold anger once he told her what he had known since the time of the carnival.

He grabbed her hand and attempted to pull her out so they could go on their break and talk somewhere private.

She held her ground. "Who is it about?" she asked, concerned.

He paused before saying…

"Dante Falconari."

**********

"Come on Lulu, you have to eat something." Dominic said, close to tears.

Lulu had been sitting on the bed, barely moving. It was like a hollow shell of her former self.

And Dominic only blamed himself.

Lulu recognized the distress in his voice, and temporarily seemed to snap out of her reverie.

She looked over at Dominic, whose head was in his hands, his body shaking, and the abandoned plate of food on the nightstand.

She sighed, and laid a soft hand on his quivering back.

His head snapped up and he looked at her with tear stained cheeks. It started tears of her own, knowing she was causing him pain. She didn't know what to do, and she knew he didn't know either.

His face took on one of alarm when he saw her tears start falling.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain? Is it me?" he was beside himself, trying to find out what was wrong with her and how he could fix it.

The truth was, no one could fix her. Not anymore.

"I'm fine." She whispered through her tears. It felt good to cry, to let it all out.

"Lulu, I just don't know what to do. I'm trying to be strong, for both of our sake. I know you need me now. But what happened to you is tearing me apart. It's all my fault." he said, scooting closer to her.

"Come here Officer." Lulu said, and Dominic scooted closer. He couldn't help but smile at her nickname for him.

She took his face between her creamy hands, and he couldn't help but sigh at her touch. Her eyes looked over his face, this beautiful angel's face. He was all hers, and she was all his. They belonged together. She owed herself to him after he saved her. She looked deep into his loving chocolate brown eyes. "This is in no way your fault. None." She told him forcefully.

He cradled her gently in his arms, barely brushing her wounds. He rocked her, knowing it might but them both down for a well needed rest. He kissed her forehead and hummed a song his mother used to sing to him.

Her eyelids started to grow heavy, but she knew that nightmares would come as soon as she closed her eyes. But as long as Dante was here, she felt safe. He would protect her.

If there was ever a time to let him know how she felt, it was now…

"Dante?" she said softly, calling him by his real name.

He loved the way his actual name sounded rolling off his tongue. He couldn't help but fantasize what it would be like if she was calling his name in a totally different way… Then he felt guilty for thinking such a thing after all that she had been through.

"Hmm…?" he said, pausing slightly in his humming.

She took a deep breath before saying. "I love you." She held her breath as she waited for a reaction.

Dante stopped moving altogether. He turned her to face him.

"Lulu Spencer, I love you more than life itself."

She smiled into his chest as he resumed his rocking and his lullaby.

She fell asleep as she dreamed of Dante chasing away all the bad demons in her life. The nightmares didn't come till later.

**********

Spinelli hobbled through the door of Jason and his shared apartment, not expecting Maxie and Jason to be sitting there, talking civilly.

"What causes Stone Cold and the Fair Maximista to be acting like good friends as it were?" he asked, closing the door shut behind him and turning to face them.

"We were just talking about Sam." Jason said and Maxie nodded.

Spinelli made his way over to take a seat on the couch next to Jason. Maxie expected him to at least give her a kiss on the cheek, but he barely even looked at her.

Maxie frowned, but refused to make a big scene in front of Jason.

Even though Maxie didn't say anything, Jason could tell something was off. He did nothing more than raise an eyebrow in Maxie's direction.

Maxie shrugged back at him, not sure what to do.

"It is a shame of what happened to Fair Samantha. Quite horrific indeed. I did go the wonderful General Hospital for my check up on my foot, where my stupid error caused me great pain. There the Angel of Mercy took care of my needs and I did happen to see Fair Samantha's parental unit there, as well as her faithful cop boyfriend." Spinelli said, unaware of the reactions he was causing.

Maxie had bristled at the mention of 'The Angel of Mercy.' And she wasn't sure if she liked the whole idea of her 'satisfying his needs.' Especially since Spinelli had blushed so profusely.

Jason had a pang of jealousy when Lucky was brought up. Thinking about Lucky with his paws all over Sam made him clench his fists and grit his teeth.

Spinelli chattered on endlessly but neither Jason nor Maxie was paying attention. He only stopped his insane babbling when Maxie jumped up.

"I have to go." She said, cutting Spinelli off, mid-ramble.

"So soon?" he asked, standing up also, and passing Maxie her coat.

She snatched her coat from him and jammed her arms through. "Yes, I'm leaving now. Nice seeing you Jason." She said, surprising even herself as she made her way through the door without so much as a good bye for Spinelli.

"Was it something I said?" Spinelli asked, once the door was shut.

Jason shrugged and stood up. He was about to force himself up the stairs and try to sleep when Spinelli said, "Stone Cold, may I have a word."

Jason sighed, but complied, knowing that he wouldn't be getting any sleep anyway. He hadn't slept decently since the night of Sam's "accident."

"What is it Spinelli?"

"Well do you recall what I said of the Angel of Mercy in my previous encounter?" he began.

"Yeah, who is she anyway? Maxie doesn't seem to like her much." Jason said, resuming his seat on the couch.

"The Angel of Mercy is a delicate blonde who is part of the staff at the wonderful General Hospital." He sighed, longingly. "Her name is Claire." He added giddily.

"Can we get to the point Spinelli?" Jason snapped, regretting listening to this story already.

"Oh yes, indeed. Well she told me my foot was fine and then, well, things got a little, intense as it were." Spinelli said, groping for the right words.

This was why he didn't notice the door opening again behind him.

"Spinelli…" Jason said, warningly.

"I had sex with the Angel of Mercy!" Spinelli exclaimed loudly.

Jason stared at him, then pointed behind Spinelli, redirecting his attention.

Spinelli turned, coming face to face with the shocked face of none other than…

Maximista.

_**I feel as if this chapter was seriously lacking. I wanted to have a nice SamLex scene, but I think I screwed it up. It took me forever to write this because I wanted to get it just right, but I still don't really like. Let me know what you think. **_

_**Xoxo, Janelle**_


	24. False Accusations

"_**Death, though inevitable, comes as a rough shock…"**_

_**************_

Patrick tugged Robin down into a wooden chair at Kelly's. In fact, he had been tugging her from the moment he had uttered the words 'Dante Falconari' in the supply closet. Robin seemed to be lost in her thoughts, and he could only imagine what it was she was thinking.

Even if he wanted to turn back now, he couldn't.

He took a deep breath and looked over at Robin until a waitress came over. She was pretty and back in the day, he would've been hitting on her. Sometimes he really regretted giving up his party days. But he wouldn't give up his life now for anything.

He ordered a couple of chocolate milkshakes, ones that he knew Robin loved. He doubted it would take off the blow of this news, but he would try anything at this point.

When he was sure that no one was listening, he leaned in close and Robin followed suit, hoping to get some answers to her scrambling thoughts.

He opened his mouth to start but Robin interrupted. "Dante Falconari? As in Olivia's son? How does he factor into this? No one has ever seen him."

Patrick swallowed. This was going to be tougher then he thought. He rubbed his forehead. "I don't even know where to start." He took a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I guess I should start back during the carnival. You know how Dominic pushed Morgan out of the way of Edward's car?"

Robin's eyes narrowed, something she did when she was confused. He loved how he knew these kinds of things about her. "Ever realize how Olivia seemed sort of unnaturally…attached…to Dominic?"

"Well, she seemed to always defend him, and protect him I guess…It seemed sort of motherly." Her eyes widened as realization hit. "Oh my God!"

They both quieted as the waitress came back with their drinks. "Enjoy." She said with a bright smile. She walked away to serve another table.

Robin pushed her milkshake aside, not bothering to take a sip. "So what you're telling me is Dominic Pirelli is really Dante Falconari, Olivia Falconari's son?" her voice was barely above a whisper, but he could tell it was growing shriller.

He nodded, nervously playing with the straw stuck in his thick milkshake. He didn't want to look at her with the next part he was going to tell her.

"So Dominic…Dante, has been lying to us to all of us this whole time?" Robin asked.

"There's more." Patrick said, clearing his throat.

Robin just stared at him, and he looked away.

"Well go on." She said, seeming to get cross.

"Robin, this is important. You can't say anything to anyone. Least of all Sonny. You have to promise me that." He said, reaching across the table and taking her small, delicate hand in his.

She looked at him, and the confusion was plain on her face. "I don't know if I can do that." She said, and regretted it immediately when she felt his hand tense up. She placed her other hand on top of his. "It's just, he is a big part in my past, and I don't like keeping secrets from him…"

She stopped when she saw the hurt on his face. "Alright," she sighed giving in, "I promise not to tell Sonny."

Patrick breathed a sigh of relief, letting his body unclench. He gripped her hand tightly, knowing she needed his support on this.

"Dante Falconari, AKA Dominic Pirelli is Sonny Corinthos' son with Olivia Falconari."

**********

Maxie's face fell into a perfect combination of confusion, hurt and anger.

"You…you what?" she asked, still frozen in shock.

Spinelli looked back at Jason for help, but Jason just shrugged helplessly.

Spinelli whipped back around, holding out his arms towards Maxie. "Please Maximista, come in and we will talk quietly about this. I'm sure once you hear me explain, that you will come to conclusion that this is all just a misunderstanding…" he cut off as he saw the fury burning in her eyes.

She slammed the door closed and threw down her things, which landed on the floor in a pitiful heap. That's how you could tell Maxie was upset; she didn't care about her designer brand wardrobe.

"You. Slept. With. That. Tramp?!" she shrieked, encountering each word sharply and coming close with each step.

Jason hopped off the couch, noticing his cue to leave. He did not do well with love quarrels. He went into the closet and grabbed his jacket and gun.

"See you Spinelli!" Jason yelled over Maxie's rampage. He felt bad at just leaving Spinelli, but he knew he couldn't really help in this situation. They just needed to talk it out.

Spinelli didn't even seem to hear him. He was too busy dodging from things that Maxie had started throwing.

If not for Jason's quick reflexes, he would have been whacked on the head by an incoming glass vase. He pulled the door open just in time to shield himself.

With one last look at the troubled pair, he excited, not sure where he was going.

Walking out the front door of the apartment building, he saw police cars zoom by, followed closely by some news vans.

Hopping on his bike, he revved it up, wanting to check it out.

**********

Epiphany rushed around the nurses' desk, trying to file paper work and talk to an angry person on the phone at the same time. And frankly, it was pissing her off.

"I'm sorry sir, if you have a problem; you can take it up with our chief of staff, Dr. Webber." She said, cutting the man off mid-sentence and then proceeded to swiftly hang up.

She rushed around some more before realizing that she shouldn't be doing all this work.

"Where is Nurse Claire?" Epiphany snapped to some of the nurses and interns standing nearby.

They shook their heads and tried to help Epiphany with the paper work so she wouldn't be even more in a bad mood.

She shook her head at their incompetence, and then stalked over to the sign out sheet.

Claire's name was on it, but she had been gone for hours. She would certainly be back by now.

So where was she?

**********

Lucky pulled up to the crime scene, red and blue flashes blinding him.

As he stepped out of the car, he could see the area was already secure with the yellow and black police tape.

He couldn't see anything with all the cops and press swarming all over the place. He squinted his eyes against the lights and noise.

He started when he felt someone slide up next to him.

"Detective Spencer." Mac said, nodding at him. "You better take a look at this."

People seemed to automatically part as Mac led Lucky closer to the scene of the crime.

They both ducked under the police tape, and Lucky fell behind, warily looking head.

Mac stopped and turned to Lucky with a grim expression.

Without another word, Mac side stepped and revealed a body.

It was one of the most gruesome murders he had ever seen. And it was most definitely a murder.

Neck snapped, limbs twisted in odd angles, almost as if they were posed. And blood, lots and lots of blood.

From what he could see, it was a beautiful young woman. Her eyes were wide open, mouth slack, as if the horror of the murder were still fresh in her mind. Her neck was bent at an angle so that her hair fell back from her face and he could see her face perfectly. He thought he knew who it was, and the mangled garments she was wearing made it final.

They were nurses' uniforms, just like the ones at GH.

Lucky felt like he was going to puke, but he swallowed a couple of times and the feeling went away.

"Look right there." Mac said, pointing to an old dumpster that Lucky had overlooked while staring at the body.

Lucky shook his head, trying to get his bearings as he looked over at the dumpster.

At first, Lucky couldn't make it out. But, stepping closer, he could read the dripping, bloody words…

_Watch out. She's next._

Lucky jerked his head back, as if he had been slapped, his mind reeling…

He looked up, into the shadows of the allies, trying to find some answers.

He looked straight into the eyes of Jason, who was lurking in the shadows nearby.

**********

Jason felt someone's eyes on him, and he looked up from the gory sight of the body lying twisted on the ground.

He met Lucky's eyes, and he didn't like what he saw there at all.

Jason stepped back into the shadows, and, hands in pockets, started to walk away.

As expected, he soon heard hurried footsteps coming his way.

"Stop!" Lucky called out, skidding to a halt as Jason slowly turned toward him, his face reflecting the police lights, not too far away, reminding them all of the grave situation at hand.

"What is it Lucky?" Jason asked, sounding impatient, making Lucky clench his fists in irritation.

Letting out a deep breath, Lucky said, "Do you have an alibi for tonight from around six to maybe seven-thirty?" he asked, cutting right to the chase.

Jason glared at him. "You can't seriously believe that I had anything to do with…that." Jason said, rather shocked at Lucky's abrasiveness.

"Maybe not you specifically, but I'm guessing it has something to do with the mob." Lucky said, theorizing. "Though I have to say, breaking necks and creepy messages aren't really your thing. That's more bullets if I'm not mistaken."

Jason shifted his weight onto one foot and crossed his arms over his chest, not revealing anything.

"So that alibi?" Lucky asked, still pressing. He wasn't even sure Jason did it; in fact he was almost sure he didn't. He just wanted someone to blame.

"Didn't Sam just wake up?" Jason asked, stalling for time.

"Yeah, so?" Lucky asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"So shouldn't you be with her right now, not working like this?" Jason asked gently.

It seemed to work for a second. Lucky's face and composure softened and a strange look crossed his face. Then in a split second, the bad cop was back.

"I've already seen Sam, not that it's any of your business." He huffed, but Jason could tell some of what he said stuck with him. "And since you still haven't answered me about an alibi, I'm guessing that means you don't have one."

Jason watched, annoyed as Lucky pulled a pair of handcuffs out of his belt.

Lucky walked over to Jason, jamming his hands uncomfortably behind his back, and began reading him his rights. "Jason Morgan, you are being brought into custody for suspicion of murder. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

Jason's attention was brought to his phone, vibrating in his pocket, alerting him to an incoming text.

With one hand cuffed, Jason skillfully reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out his phone.

Sam's name flashed across the screen and his heart skipped a beat, despite his current predicament.

He opened the message and cursed, body tensing.

Lucky jerked his hand behind his back again, causing him to drop his phone on the ground. It skidded into the shadows.

"Hey!" Jason protested as Lucky began leading him away.

Cameras flashed as Jason ducked into the back of the all-too-familiar police car.

The police car seemed to crawl all the way to the station, leaving him plenty of time to think about Sam's message and what it could mean for everyone.

_Jerry's back. Come see me ASAP._

**********

Lulu woke up, panting and drenched in a cold sweat. It made her shiver, and she dragged the covers over her. Whenever her body moved, she felt pain.

The dream, no the NIGHTMARE, that she had just had, came flooding back to her. His body leaning over her, his breath covering her face, making her gag. It all seemed so real, like it happened a second time. Only this time, Dominic had shown up in time, but Johnny had shot him. It was too much of a wakeup call.

It took her a minute to place where she was, and then memories from the night came back. One in particular stood out; falling asleep in Dominic's arms.

She reached out a hand, searching for Dominic, her comfort, only to find the other side of the bed bare.

She sat up abruptly, pain coming from everywhere. It made her dizzy and she lay back down.

How could she have been so stupid? Of course, Dominic would seize in the opportunity to leave her. Leave her to deal with this by herself. She was more trouble than she was worth. She felt abandoned and used, and somehow it was just as bad as being raped.

She must have made some sort of noise, a whimper perhaps, because she heard a crash, and hurried footsteps her way.

A moment later, Dominic was by her side, brushing her hair back from her forehead. "Are you okay?" he asked, noticing her pallor.

For some reason, she couldn't stop her tears from falling. "I thought…I thought you left me." She said, her breathing ragged.

A stricken look crossed his face. "Oh, no, no, baby. I wouldn't do that, ever again." he said, climbing gently on the bed. "Come here…Shh." He said, laying her head on his chest.

She concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest, and his glorious smell. It enveloped her and she felt safer then she had felt in a long time.

He held her, without complaining until her sobs subsided, and reduced to a whimper.

Before she could help herself, she shifted and pressed her lips to his smooth neck. She felt him sigh into her hair and his arms tightened around her before she pulled back.

They studied each other for a moment. That's when Lulu noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

"Did I keep you up?" she asked, feeling terrible.

"You did keep having nightmares." He admitted. "Whenever you woke up, you were screaming for me to stop hurting you. You lashed out at me once." He said, jutting out his chin. On the jaw line there were brutal red lines.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry." She whispered, almost going back into a fresh bout of tears.

Dominic must have noticed because he rushed on. "No, I didn't mind. You were totally out of it. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose. Anyway, I was up anyway because I was having nightmares of my own." He said, almost sheepishly.

"You? Nightmares?" she scoffed.

He grabbed her hand with such intensity that she looked up into his eyes.

"Yes." He said quietly. "Every time I closed my eyes, I saw some faceless creep, pawing all over you and I was forced to watch. I kept trying to get to you, and you were screaming my name. But I could never reach you. Every step I took closer, the farther away you got…" he trailed off. "It was terrible, but probably nothing compared to yours." He said, looking up to her eyes, too.

He lifted her hand and kissed each finger lightly. She got a different type of light headedness.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, still holding on to her.

She slipped her hand form his grasp and reached up to his jaw, tracing the cut ever so lightly with trembling fingers. The cut _she_ had made.

Her eyes clouded over and she shied away.

"Don't shut down on me like that. Don't shut me out." He said, using one finger under her chin to make her face him again.

He searched her face, looking her deep in the eyes.

"You know who did this to you, don't you?" he asked, whispering now. Tears filled up his tired and worn out eyes.

Knowing he would see through any lie, she answered truthfully. "Yes."

She knew that he was waiting for her to tell him who it was but she remained silent.

"Who did this to you, Lulu? Who hurt you?" Dominic asked, a couple of tears leaked out of the barrier he was trying so hard to keep up.

Lulu used her thumb and brushed them away.

She placed her hands on either side of his face.

Dominic held his breath, waiting.

"Johnny Zacchara." She said in a cold, hard voice.

**********

Claudia downed her beer and looked around.

She was sitting at the bar, on one of the hard wooden chairs, at Jake's. She was on her third- or was it fourth? - beer.

Johnny still wouldn't spill about where he had disappeared to that night and she was getting seriously pissed.

She knew coming back to Port Charles was a bad idea, but at the same time, she knew Johnny needed her, badly.

She stumbled over to the pool table in the dimly lit corner.

She twirled a stick around a few times, then leaned on it heavily when she noticed someone dark and handsome made his way to the bar.

"Hey Coleman." Nicholas said, as he approached the bar. He slammed his fists on the counter top. He was obviously a little drunk already. "Any kind of beer is fine." He said, smirking.

"Right away Mr. Cassidine." Coleman said, giving a mock bow before protruding a beer.

Nicholas took a big swig before he turned around and faced the pool table.

They caught each other's eyes and he had a naughty glint in them as he made his way over.


	25. One Down, How Many More?

_**Really sorry guys, I've been slacking off. I hope I didn't lose my touch. Tell me what you think of this chapter.**_

"_**It's too late to think of the value of my life…"**_

_**************_

__Sam sat impatiently on her- that's how bad it got, referring to the hospital bed as _hers_- bed, awaiting the answer from Jason.

She had sent it at least a half hour ago and she was clutching her phone in her weak hands as if her life depended on it, and quite frankly, it could.

She began tapping her fingers impatiently and she looked absent mindedly around the room. Her eyes fell on the cluster of unwrapped Christmas gifts in the corner. Upon closer inspection, she saw a delicate little package that was forgotten.

She thought about calling Claire. She hadn't seen her lately and she wanted to get the gift. She wasn't sure if she could make it all the way to the corner on her weak legs. She had only had one physical therapy session so far, and she hated how her once toned legs had become like jelly. So, being the independent woman she was, Sam hoisted herself up and made her way, wobbly, to the corner of gifts.

She bent down to retrieve it and hobbled back to bed.

Sam placed the package on her bedside table as she got comfortable in the bed. Once she was set, she grabbed the package and looked it over.

It was wrapped in simple silver paper, no bow, and curiously, no card.

She shook it a little, hoping to get a clue as to what was inside.

Staring at it some more, she hoped it wasn't some twisted gift from her stalker/killer.

Only one way to find out…

She inserted her finger under the side and tore off the paper. She let it fall to the floor.

In her hands was a small white box, and she was more confused than ever.

Eyebrows knitted together, she opened the small box.

Inside was a beautiful silver necklace. On the chain was what looked like a ring, made of hearts all joined together.

It so beautiful it took her breath away.

She knew it wasn't from Lucky, since she opened his bracelet earlier. It felt heavy on her wrist right now. The words _I love you_ engraved on it.

Looking down, she realized a little card on her lap. It had fallen out of the package as she unwrapped it.

She grabbed at it hungrily, needing to know who it was from.

She flipped it over and in a messy scrawl she read:

_I realized how much I've missed my best friend, my lover. I'm sorry for everything. I will help you through this. You can count on me now. Hope you like the necklace.  
Love, Jason_

Sam's eyes filled with tears, and she clutched the necklace and card to her chest.

Her hands trembled as she slipped the necklace on, and she couldn't help but wish Jason was here to put it on her.

She wasn't sure what the future held, but she was positive that Jason factored in somehow.

She went back to worrying about Jason's answer, holding the necklace.

**********

Mac made it to the hospital before the body made it there. Lucky wasn't with him because he was with a suspect. Regardless, Mac was going to find out what happened to this poor woman. First, he had to figure out who it was.

Mac paced outside the door, waiting for the ambulance to come. Since the victim was wearing what appeared to be the intern uniform from GH, he figured one of the staff could ID her.

He had a somber face when they pulled up.

The two guys opened the back wordlessly, and rolled out the stretcher, containing a body covered with a pristine white sheet.

"Thanks guys." Mac grunted and followed them through the double doors.

Mac signaled them to stop by the nurse's station, ignoring the curious faces of the interns and random patients strolling the halls, and the distressed faces of the doctors and nurses.

Patrick stepped forward first, mouth a thin line. He looked like he had had a rough day already. Mac really hated to make it worse.

"What can we do for you Mac?" Patrick said, glancing down at the white sheet. "Need someone to escort you to the morgue?"

"That would be a great help." Mac said, and running a hand through his hair, he continued. "But I need someone to identify this girl."

Patrick looked back at the nurses, Epiphany most of all looking worried. "Why do you think we would be able to identify her?" Patrick said, turning back to Mac.

Mac lowered his voice. "When we found her, we thought we saw her dressed in the GH attire. It was pretty hard to tell." He sighed. "Is there anyone we can take to the morgue to ID her?"

"Um, yeah." Patrick whipped around and called "Epiphany, can you go with Mac please?" he looked even more rumpled then before.

Mac didn't think it was possible for Epiphany's face to look any more stricken, but as she made her way toward him, her usual demeanor was gone. He could tell it was making everyone uneasy.

There was no sound as they rolled to the morgue, except for the wheels of the stretcher against the linoleum floor and their echoing footsteps.

Epiphany began to sweat, beads of it dripping down the nape of her neck and she knotted her fingers nervously. She had an idea of who was under that sheet, and she prayed to God that she was wrong.

As they entered the morgue, Epiphany got a chill and jumped when the door flung shut behind her.

The two guys from the ambulance lined up the stretcher with the others, some of them bare, but some had identical white sheets on top of bodies. Epiphany made it a point never to come down here unless absolutely necessary. She wondered why they couldn't have asked someone else to ID the body.

The two guys left after Mac thanked them, and Epiphany shivered in the cold and glanced around uneasily.

She wasn't aware of Mac looking at her until he cleared his throat. She jumped back into the present.

"So, what do I do?" she asked, wanting to be helpful, but really stalling so she didn't have to look at the body.

Mac cleared his throat. "I'm just going to pull back the sheet and you tell me who you see. If you don't recognize her, that's fine. Just say so." He made his way over to the sheet and positioned himself by the head.

"This is pretty gruesome." He warned. "Just tell me when you've seen enough."

Epiphany took a deep breath and her eyes widened when Mac revealed what was hidden beneath the sheet.

"Enough! I've seen enough!" Epiphany choked out, turning away and doubling over.

"Epiphany! Epiphany are you alright?" Mac said, throwing the sheet back to cover the body and running to make sure she was okay.

"I'm…I'm fine." She mumbled, embarrassed. Then a wave of sorrow hit her. "I know who the body was."

"Really? Can you tell me who it is?" Mac asked eagerly. Finding out who the victim was, was one step closer to finding out the killer.

"It's… It's…"

Mac knew this was hard for Epiphany to do, but he needed these answers. "Who?" he prodded.

"Claire. Claire Martin." She managed to say. "She was a few months into interning here."

With that, Epiphany sank to the floor, and wrapped her arms around herself.

Mac knelt beside her. "Don't worry, we already have a lead." He said, thinking of Lucky. It had better be a good suspect.

_Whoever did this needs to pay. _Mac thought as he wrapped a comforting arm around Epiphany.

**********

Jason sat on a lumpy mattress, looking at the slate grey walls of the Port Charles jail. He had his elbows resting on his knees and was waiting for his one phone call.

He knew he should be pissed off that he was wrongly accused of brutally murdering an innocent girl, but all he could think of was Sam's text message.

Jerry was back.

He was thinking how this murder and Jerry could connect. And he had a real fear that Sam's life was still in danger.

He needed to see her.

But if he was ever going to get out of here, he was going to need Diane.

He sighed deeply, leaning his head against the hard stone of the wall.

He had an idea. He would call Spinelli and tell him to call Diane and Sam. That way he could get out of here and let Sam know that he would be there as soon as he could.

He shivered; they had taken his jacket for a search. This meant, of course, that they had taken his gun.

He sat back up, not being able to get Jerry off his mind.

He shook his head and stood up. Moving always helped him clear his head. He really wanted a ride on his motorcycle to sort everything out but that was impossible at the moment.

At least he wasn't as claustrophobic as Sonny; there would be no way he would survive in here.

Jason's thoughts floated to his son, and Elizabeth, the woman he claimed to love. He wondered if she was playing with him right now. Actually, she was probably putting him to bed. He wished he was there to see his son grow up. It was his stupid lifestyle that kept him away from his son. And every time he pictured Elizabeth's angel like face, it got marred by Sam's more beautiful one.

Why was everything in his life so complicated?

Finally, he heard footsteps coming and looked up to the face of Lucky, his least favorite person right now.

"One phone call." Lucky said, handing him a phone, leering at him through the bars.

Jason snatched it quickly and turned his back to Lucky. He quickly dialed his house number, hoping that Spinelli would answer the phone, even though he had that big blowout with Maxie.

As the phone was ringing, he heard Lucky talking to the other cops about that case.

"Claire Martin? That's the victim's name. She worked as an intern over at GH huh? What a shame. Well we will get her justice…"

Jason fixated on the phone as Spinelli picked up. He wondered how he was going to tell Spinelli that the girl he had recently slept with was murdered, and that he was arrested for it.

**********

"Casa de Stone Cold. The Jackal speaking." Spinelli said, answering the phone, a depressed lilt in his voice.

"Hey Spinelli, its Jason."

"Oh, Stone Cold, things didn't go well here at all. I would really appreciate it if you came and-"

"Spinelli, as much as I would love to hear about your fight with Maxie, I have more important matters at hand." Jason hated being blunt with Spinelli, but he really needed to get out of here.

"Of course, what do you need the Jackal for?" Spinelli asked, loyal as always.

"Listen carefully. I'm at the PCPD. Someone just got murdered over by the warehouses. Lucky had me taken in because he saw me there riding my bike. I need you to call Diane and get her to come here and bail me out. But I called you so you could call Sam. Tell her everything I just told you, I'll explain more when I get home. Oh and call Elizabeth please." He added as an afterthought.

"Oh, yes of course Stone Cold." Spinelli said, hoping he wouldn't screw anything up. "But, if I may inquire, who was the unfortunate soul who 'bit the dust' as they say?"

Jason inhaled sharply through his nose, and Spinelli could tell he had wanted to stay off that particular subject.

"Spinelli, it was Claire Martin. The intern over at GH."

After a long pause, Jason said, "I'm so sorry Spinelli. I know you had something going on between you two. Just pass on those messages please, and I'll help you with everything when I get home. Thanks."

The phone clicked in Spinelli's ear, and he hung up the phone, more depressed then he was before.

He stood motionless for a moment before springing into action. Stone Cold needed him now, only after he fulfilled his duties would he mourn the loss of both of his blonde beauties.

**********

Diane was just settling into bed, wanting to sleep more than ever when she got the call.

She had been helping with Alexis and her job on top of everything else. She barely had time to sleep let alone time for her big teddy bear, Max. She was starting to feel on serious overload.

What she didn't need was another mob crisis, or to listen to Spinelli's ramblings for that matter.

"What can I do for you Mister Spinelli?" she asked, opening the phone and throwing her arm over her eyes.

"Stone Cold needs your assistance. I already called Fair Samantha, on his instructions. But he is at the PCPD, having been arrested for a crime he most certainly didn't commit and if you could go down there and bail him out, it would be most appreciated." He babbled, though he didn't seem to have as much energy as he normal did.

_That makes two of us. _ She thought to herself.

"Yes thank you Spinelli." She snapped before hanging up.

Leave it to Jason Morgan to get arrested in the middle of the night.

She grumbled the whole time she got out of bed. She was so pissed off she didn't even bother changing. She threw a robe of her nightgown and made her way to her car.

_See how they like that_. She huffed, driving away.

**********

Elizabeth hung up the phone frazzled. She hated thinking of Jason's violent mob life, but it was a reality she had to face if she was to be with him. She felt it was hard to believe that Jason would kill some poor intern at the hospital. Elizabeth had liked her too. Poor Claire.

And poor Jason for getting arrested for it.

She was glad the boys were upstairs safe and sound in their beds. She felt the need to check on them again.

Her thoughts running wild, she crept quietly up the stairs, needing to see for herself that her boys were safe.

She poked her head into the room that they shared.

Pale moonlight filtered through the window and splayed on their faces, each of them so much like their father's.

Jake's hair glittered just like Jason's. She was still mad at Jason for finding him in the hospital bed with Sam, but she wanted to forgive him. She wished he could spend more time being a father to Jake then a mobster.

And Cam. Looked just like Zander as a baby, but beginning to look and act like Lucky more and more. He was a good father to have in the boys lives, even if he was involved with that self centered tramp.

Both her boys were beautiful, and more importantly, _safe._

Satisfied, Elizabeth made her way back downstairs. She would stay up until she got a call from Jason or Spinelli, making sure he was okay.

She knew she might not even get a call; that she and Jason were drifting farther and farther apart, and she had no clue what to do.

She plopped on the couch, phone nearby, and curled her legs up under her. She switched on the TV, but wasn't really watching it.

And she waited.

**********

"Hey Claudia." Nikolas said as he sat down at the bar next to her, drink sloshing a bit. "You find your brother?" he asked, taking another swig.

Claudia followed suit, and after swallowing answered. "Yeah, he stumbled home in the middle of the next day. Still hasn't told me where he went." She said, and just thinking of it made her blood boil, or was that the beer?

"You been drinking a lot?" he asked her, for, even drunk, he was ever the gentlemen.

"Of course." She said, giving him a lopsided smile and tipping her drink back to drain it of all its contents. Being a little woozy, she spilled some down the front of her shirt.

"Shit!" she cried, grabbing unsteadily at the napkins on the bar. She began dabbing at her shirt.

"Here let me help." Nikolas said, grabbing some napkins and helped her dab at her chest.

_Yup, definitely drunk._ She concluded. Not that she minded. A little care free fun was just what she needed.

She leaned into his touch, and after a moment, he pulled back, finishing his beer.

Claudia tried to hide the disappointment on her face. "You play pool?" she asked, glancing over at the empty pool tables.

"Eh, a bit." He said.

"Well then let's go, Prince Charming." She said, hopping off the stool and losing her balance.

Nikolas offered her his arm, and she took it gratefully.

Together, they stumbled over to the pool table, making fools of themselves in their drunken stupor.

**********

Olivia narrowly missed being hammered to the ground by a very drunk, Claudia and Nikolas as they made their way to the opposite end of the bar.

She smiled; at least someone was having a little fun.

She went up to the bar. "Coleman, tequila shots, and keep them coming." She said, and made her way to a table.

As she was about to sit down, she noticed Maxie Jones sitting at a table by herself. Olivia could tell, even in this crap lighting that she looked terrible, like she'd been crying.

Olivia stood back up and sat gingerly in the seat across from her. Maxie barely even looked up.

"You okay sweetie?" Olivia asked, nodding her thanks to Coleman who dropped off her shots at the table.

"No." Maxie said, looking up. She sounded stuffed up, and her makeup was smeared in the corners. Yup, definitely been crying.

"You want to talk about it?" Olivia asked, tipping back her shot. She noticed Maxie still had a full martini to the side. "It must be pretty bad."

"Oh, you don't even know." She huffed. She sat back and looked Olivia in the eye.

"Well, people tell me I'm a good listener." Olivia said, truly wanting to help, but also to escape from her own problems with Dante and Sonny.

"You really want to hear about all of this?" Maxie asked, doubtful, raising an eyebrow.

Olivia shrugged. "Sure. Maybe I can help."

Maxie chuckled darkly. "Thanks but I'm pretty sure no one can help with this." Maxie sighed, and took a big sip of her drink, as if she needed the strength to get through the story. She forwards, elbows on the table, which made Olivia think if her mother back in Bensonhurst. Her mother would slap at their elbow with a ruler if she saw them on the table. Olivia chuckled despite herself.

Maxie didn't seem to notice because she launched right into her story. "I guess it started when Spinelli shot- I mean _dropped _something on his foot. It got infected pretty bad and I wanted to get it checked out. So I took him over to GH where this tramp intern took care of her. Her name was Claire, something like that. She was basically all over him, but I didn't say anything because I didn't think Spinelli would do anything stupid. I guess he went over some other time because when I went to see him today over at Jason's house, I heard his not so subtle confession that he slept with her." Maxie finished sorrowfully, putting her head in her hands.

"Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Olivia said, reaching over the table and rubbing Maxie's arm. Maxie couldn't help but think of the action as motherly. She wished she had a mom as great as Olivia.

Maxie looked up at Olivia and smiled gratefully. "It's just that, I'm not used to this feeling. Usually, I'm the one who is cheating and lying. Now I know how the guys I cheat on feel. And I don't like it at all."

Olivia sat thoughtfully for a moment. "Well, why do you think he did it?"

"I have no idea!" Maxie moaned. "I don't think I was making him unhappy. I love him so much, Olivia."

"Did you talk to him about this? Like, what did you do when you found out?" Olivia asked, not sure what to say.

"Oh, believe me, I made a huge mess. Jason left and I started throwing things. I hope I didn't hurt Spinelli. Oh wait, yes I do. God, I don't know what I mean." Maxie said, her conflicted feelings plain on her face.

"I get it, you still love him but you're pretty pissed. It's okay to be confused, hun." Olivia said. "And, if he loves you the way you love him, then as long as you forgive him, I think you two will survive."

"Thanks Olivia, that means a lot." Maxie said, holding up her drink. "Cheers." She said, and Olivia chuckled as she clinked her glass with hers. They both downed their drinks.

"So, what brings you here on this fine night?" Maxie said, becoming more comfortable around Olivia. "Boy drama?"

"Well, as a matter of fact, yes. But nothing nearly s bad as yours." Olivia laughed.

"Oh, what did Sonny do this time?" Maxie said knowingly.

"Business as usual. He had to cancel our dinner date. Whatever." She said, taking one last sip of her drink. "I'm going to go get some more drinks, you want some?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll just come with you." Maxie said, standing up and stretching her cramped muscles.

They made their way to the bar, just as Coleman turned the volume up on the small TV.

Some of the words floated back to the girls as they stood laughing.

_21 year old Claire Martin was murdered tonight, just a little while ago._ _Such a shame that a young intern over at GH had to meet her end in such a horrible way. Pictures may be released in time. Jason Morgan has been arrested under suspicion of this murder. More on the subject later…._

Maxie froze in shock. She pitched forward.

Olivia gasped and caught her arm.

She held back Maxie's hair as she retched onto the floor.

**********

Dante was ambling along the road, head down, hands in his pocket. He had stepped out of his apartment after making sure Lulu was sound asleep. Sleep for him had been impossible since the rape.

He had planned to pick up a few things at a CVS or something, but he found himself traveling back to the park.

The very same park where he had sped to after getting Lulu's call. He remembered the feeling, the horrible heart pounding, and shaky feeling. He had no clue where she was and if she was hurt. And this time, he knew who had done these horrible things to her.

_Calm down._ He told himself, noticing that his hands were trembling. It was different this time. He knew that Lulu was safe and sound back at his apartment and this time he knew the sonofabitch who hurt her.

And he would pay.

Dante didn't plan on going inside the park, yet his feet carried him there.

He went by the bench that he had sat on, remembering the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness. He looked down at the spot where he had seen Lulu's cell phone lying on the ground.

He stood back up and ducked through the scraggly branches and came face to face with the silent woods. The woods he had run through, trying to get to the love of his life while she was in danger.

He couldn't yet see the cabin, and since he went this far, he wanted to go all the way. It was his cop-like nature.

He crept forward carefully, gun on his hip, hoping he wouldn't have to use it, but knowing if he came across Johnny Zacchara, he wouldn't hesitate to blow his brains out.

Great, now he sounded just as psycho as the person he hated, Sonny Corinthos.

The silent night that surrounded him became suffocating, and he wanted more than anything to be lying next to Lulu. Listening to the sound of her breathing, and drying her tears when she woke form the nightmares that the cold hearted bastard gave her. He hoped she didn't wake up and he wasn't there for her. Again.

He sighed, stopping as the ghostly shadow of the cabin loomed before him. His breath caught in his throat, and he looked down at his shoes as tears filmed his eyes. He rubbed his cold, chapped hands together and looked up again.

He froze in shock as he saw another shadow standing by the cabin. As far as he knew, no one knew about this place. The police would have heard Lulu screaming.

That would mean the only person here would be Johnny Zacchara himself.

In fact, the person in front of him had the exact same shape, and build as Johnny.

Fury filled his entire body until he shook with rage. His hands clenched into fists at his side, and he knew that if he did get his hands on Johnny, he wasn't sure what he would do.

Fueled by the rage, Dante forced himself to be quiet, and he continued slinking through the woods.

As he approached closer, he noticed that Johnny was standing with his back to Dante, facing the cabin. He looked up at it, running a hand through his hair.

Dante wondered if he even felt remorse for what he had done. Certainly no guilt, because he would have confessed by now.

Dante's was inhaling sharp breaths through his nose, and his right hand found the gun concealed in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked down at the shiny exterior, the black of the gun blending in with the black of the night.

As Dante kept walking closer, he kept wondering, _why would Johnny return to the scene of the crime?_

Finally Dante was at least a foot behind him and he closed the gap quickly.

He grabbed Johnny with his left arm, and cocked the gun with his right, feeling Johnny's body tense up as he jammed the gun in the back of his skull.

"Don't move." Dante said in a husky voice.

"Hey man, take it easy." Johnny pleaded, trying to twist out of his grasp.

"You sonofabitch, what makes you think you can abuse girls like that huh?" Dante said, growing angrier by the second and he jammed the gun into his skull even harder. It was probably going to leave a bruise. Only one of many that riddled Lulu's body.

"Oh, Dominic, how's it going?" Johnny said, recognizing his voice. "Guess Lulu told you what happened. Well, listen man, I'm sure she didn't tell you everything." He tried to twist around and look Dante in the eye. "She made me want her so bad."

Dante could barely see he was so upset. He kicked the back of Johnny's knees so they gave out. Once Johnny was on his knees, Dante butted the gun into his back, causing him to writhe in pain.

"Don't ever say that again." Dante whispered menacingly in his ear. "She never wanted you, still doesn't want you, and that's why you raped her."

"If you never came around, she would still be mine!" Johnny yelled, jealousy dripping from the words. He turned and punching Dante in the face.

Dante's head whipped back in surprise, but he came back full on. He turned back to Johnny, pointing the gun at his chest and putting some pressure on the trigger. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now." Dante ordered.

"This is all your fault." Johnny whispered, not backing down. He looked into the detectives eyes. "Damn, you must really love her." He said, standing up and brushing off his knees, like there wasn't a gun pointed at him.

Dante kept his aim. "Of course I love her. You would be stupid not to. But that doesn't give you the right to rape her! You ruined the rest of her life! When you were done with her, she was bloody and bruised and you didn't even care, as long as you got what you wanted you selfish pig!" Dante yelled, hating how is voice cracked at the end. He would not show weakness in front of this man.

"You don't deserve her." Johnny snarled.

"She doesn't want you." Dante fired back. "We love each other, and we are going to have a life, without you in it." Dante said, taking a step closer.

While all this was unfolding, Dante had calmed down. He had stopped seeing red, and was seeing the logic of this situation. He was a cop for chrissake. He couldn't shoot this man, no matter how much he wanted to.

"Go ahead. Shoot me." Johnny said, throwing out his arms. "I have nothing to live for." He said, and he seemed to mean it.

Dante thought this through, but he knew he was going to do it anyway.

With his gun still aimed at Johnny, Dante reached into his left pocket and pulled out his badge. He felt some sort of satisfaction watching Johnny's eyes bug out of his head.

"Johnny Zacchara, you are under arrest for the rape of Lulu Spencer."

**********

_**So what do you think? Not bad huh? Sorry to leave such a cliff hanger, but I wanted to keep you guys still reading. Please comment, I love reading them. I promise I won't take so long to post the next chapter. Thanks.**_

_**Xoxo  
Janelle**_


	26. Revealed

_**This chapter is really long, and I'm sorry, but it has to be. The next chapter will take place a month later, so I want to make sure I include everything in here. The next chapters won't be so long. Please be patient with me.**_

"_**Secrets don't make friends, but friends make secrets…"**_

Diane burst through the door of the Port Charles Police Department, her thin robe blowing out behind her. She earned herself a few stares, and she smirked. This was possibly one of her best ideas yet.

Her heels clicked angrily on the floor, and she didn't stop until she was standing in front of Mac, who was sorting through papers.

He looked up slowly, and when he took in her attire, he tried his hardest not to bust out laughing.

"Can I help you?" Mac asked, taking in Diane's rumpled hair.

"Of course you can help me! You think I came all the way to this God forsaken place in my pajamas because I wanted to have some idle chit chat?" Diane said, nostrils flaring.

"Let me be more specific, what exactly can I help you with?" Mac said, starting to get annoyed.

"You know exactly why I'm here, to get Jason out of this pointless lockup." Diane said, making her way to the room they had for questioning witnesses. "Well let's get this show on the road." She finished, yanking open the door and walking inside.

Mac sighed. He knew that arresting Jason was pointless as soon as Lucky told him he did it. Mac knew for a fact that Jason didn't do this, and that Lucky was just trying to place the blame. Now he needed to have a talk with one of his finest cops about his judgment.

"Lucky, go get Jason Morgan." Mac said, and followed Diane into the room, closing the door behind him.

Diane was standing by the chair that Jason would be sitting in, and she was looking pretty peeved. Mac wished he didn't have to deal with this; he just wanted to go home, or maybe stop by to see Alexis. He glanced at his watch; scratch that, it was pretty late.

The two of them stood in silence until Lucky and Jason came through the door. Jason sat in the seat by Diane, shooting her a grateful look for coming and then looked curiously at what she was wearing, which she returned with a glare and a nod. Lucky came and stood by Mac.

"Alright." Diane said, clapping her hands together. "Now does anyone want to explain exactly _why_ my client was arrested tonight?"

Mac was about to say something, but Lucky threw in his two cents. "We think he may have something to do with the murder of Claire Martin, you know the intern over at GH?" Lucky said, sliding over pictures of the body that the people had sent over from the morgue.

Diane managed to suppress a shudder as she looked at the pictures.

"I think that we can all agree that this was a horrible thing to happen." She paused while everyone nodded. "Which brings me to my next question: Do you have any proof that my client had anything to do with this? Any proof at all?"

Mac jumped to answer before Lucky. "Forensics are scanning both the scene and the body. And we are of course looking at the security tapes. But at the moment, no evidence."

"But he was at the scene of the crime." Lucky pointed out. "Lurking in the shadows I might add."

"Is it possible, Officer Spencer, that my client was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, or he was meeting someone? There are numerous possibilities as to why he was there."

She waited for something else to come at her, but the cops fell silent.

"And with that, gentlemen, I will now take my client home. Thank you." She said, waiting impatiently as Mac unlocked Jason's handcuffs. Lucky kept shooting him looks of disbelief, but Mac ignored them.

Jason got up, rubbing his chapped wrists and he and Diane made their way out the door, leaving Mac and Lucky to work things out.

"Thanks Diane, you know, I didn't even do this." Jason said, as they stood out in the lobby.

"Anytime." She snapped. "Anytime, except in the middle of the night when I'm about to go to bed!"

"Well, I'm glad you came anyway, I didn't do this, but I think I may have a lead on who did."

Diane looked at him curiously, and she seemed like she wanted to know what he was up to, not that he would have told her. Not until he needed to anyway.

Diane shook her head and changed her mind. "I don't want to know, just be more careful, will you?"

"Sure thing." Jason chuckled, knowing that that was next to impossible.

They were about to exit when two men came bursting through the doors.

Jason locked eyes with Dominic… who was arresting Johnny Zacchara?

He looked over at Diane who was just as shocked.

"You're a cop?" Jason asked with disgust, hoping that this was some cruel joke.

"Officer Dante Falconari at your service." Dante said, looking Jason in the eye levelly. Jason noticed he didn't seem scared for his life, but he would be. As soon as he told Sonny.

Dominic was an undercover cop infiltrating the organization.

And Falconari, that was Olivia's last name wasn't it?

Dante was Olivia's son.

Jason needed to get out of here. His mind was reeling. He pushed past Diane as he exited, and she followed dutifully, probably making sure he didn't do anything stupid to get arrested again.

Dante watched them leave, worried for a minute, now that his cover was blown, but then he turned his attention back to the job at hand. Namely, a struggling Johnny.

"Mac!" Dante called out and watched as Mac pushed through the door of the interview room, Lucky on his heels.

The shock on both of their faces was unimaginable. Mac couldn't believe that Dante had blown his cover, and Lucky couldn't believe that Dante was an undercover cop.

"Dante what are you doing? You weren't supposed to reveal yourself yet!" Mac said, clearly flustered as he looked from Dante to a retreating Jason.

Dante ignored him completely. "Mac this guy needs to be thrown in jail. Immediately."

"Why?" Lucky asked when Mac didn't.

Dante paused, knowing this news could affect Lucky big. Lulu was his sister after all. But he needed to make sure Lulu was safe.

"Johnny Zacchara raped Lulu Spencer, and I have proof."

Lucky's world went black as cops rushed forward, subduing a fighting Johnny.

Lulu woke up, calmly for once. She felt well rested, but she knew that she probably had nightmares through the night.

She noticed that she was alone again; Dante was gone.

This time, she wasn't so worried though. She knew he wouldn't lose him any time soon, and that put a big smile on her face.

She was feeling less sore and she felt in dire need of a shower.

She got up out of the bed, and sifted through the countless clothes that Maxie had packed for her. She picked out simple jeans and grabbed a sweatshirt out of one of Dante's drawers.

She went in the bathroom, and turned on the water. It drowned out all sound, and for that she was grateful. She stripped out of Dante's shirt and jumped in the shower.

The warm water was such a relief on her sore body. She was healing though, physically, if not mentally.

And she owed all that to Dante. If not for him, she might have died out there in the woods where no one would have found her.

She sighed, turning her face up to the water.

When she was satisfied, she stepped out, wrapping a plush towel around her.

She looked at herself in the vanity mirror. She was changed, that was for sure. On the outside and on the inside.

There was a haunting in her eyes, and her face was thinner; she hadn't eaten in days. In fact, when she slipped on her jeans, they felt a little baggy. Her face mouth seemed to be curved in a permanent frown, but she knew that around Dante, she smiled a lot more. She had a scar on her cheek and she was cut up everywhere, though they were starting to scab. And inside, she was just a mess. A mixture of feelings that she didn't even want to think about.

She wondered if Dante had noticed the change. She wondered how he could even stand to look at her anymore.

Well, he said he loved her, so she was just going to accept that.

She wondered if her Mom felt this way after she got raped.

She scrubbed at her teeth furiously with her toothbrush, and when she was feeling all refreshed, she exited the bathroom, letting steam flow out the open door.

She looked around the room, and she still saw no sign of Dante. Her eyebrows knit, but she still had a feeling that he was okay.

She dumped her clothes and towel into the hamper and plopped back down on the bed again, awaiting her lover's return.

She grabbed the TV remote and began flipping through channels. She stopped when she got to the news.

There were multiple stories, and she settled back to listen to people's lives who were even more horrible then hers.

A photo of a girl that Lulu half recognized from the hospital flashed on the screen. The name below stated Claire Martin.

Lulu listened intently as the news reporter explained what happened.

_21 year old Claire Martin was brutally murdered last night in a shady alleyway. Jason Morgan was originally arrested under the suspicion of said murder, but was later released that night on lack of evidence. After reviewing the surveillance cameras of the area, the police have made a list of things to look out for a suspect for this murder._

A list of characteristics flashed on the screen, next to Claire's picture. Average height, medium build, possibly dark haired.

Even Lulu knew that wasn't a lot to go by. That could be anyone in the entire state of New York.

Lulu saw the reporter pause on screen and finger the earpiece in his ear.

Looking back up at the audience he said,

_Breaking news. Johnny Zacchara was also arrested last night. He was arrested for the rape of a victim, yet to be disclosed. All we know is that it was most definitely female. The cop who made the arrest was Officer Dante Falconari, an undercover cop who was infiltrating mob king pin, Sonny Corinthos' organization…_

A mug shot of Johnny and an unsmiling picture of Dante went on the screen.

Lulu's blood ran cold, her whole body went numb. She felt like she was back in the Zacchara basement, drowning, with hypothermia coating her body. She fought just to stay conscious.

A single thought penetrated her unfeeling mind: Dante had risked his life to save her.

He really did love her.

But she had to find a way to fix this. If he died, it would be all her fault, and she couldn't take it. She didn't think she could even live without him.

She tried to process some thoughts but it was like sifting through quicksand.

Dante… he was Olivia's son. Sonny was dating Olivia.

The thoughts connected like a puzzle.

Sonny wouldn't shoot the son of the woman he loved.

Right?

Claudia woke up, the feeling of a warm body beside her.

Opening her eyes, she realized she didn't know where she was.

Flipping over on her other side, she saw Nikolas' sleeping face beside her.

Some of the events from the night before came back to her, and she threw back the covers, noticing with relief, that she was fully clothed.

She jumped out of bed anyway, causing the bed to jostle, which in turn woke up Nikolas.

"Hi." He said so sleepily, it almost made her laugh. "Who let you in? And why are you here so early?"

"I've been here since last night. Oh shit!" she exclaimed suddenly. "You don't think we…"

Nikolas seemed wide awake now. He looked less confused as he remembered what happened last night.

"I don't think so." He said finally. "Guess we were so drunk, we passed out."

Claudia looked at him and then started to laugh uncontrollably, Nikolas seemed confused but he joined in and Claudia climbed back into the bed.

She grabbed her head when she realized she had a monster headache. She sank back into the pillows.

"Do you have aspirin or something?" she mumbled, face down on the pillow.

"Yeah, sure I'll just call Alfred." He said, and proceeded to do so.

"Must be nice to have servants all the time, doing your dirty work." She said, closing her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess." Nikolas said, and they lapsed into a moment of silence.

So, when Claudia's phone rang, they both jumped out of their skin.

Claudia groaned when she realized it was just her phone, and she leaned over the side of the bed to dig it out of her stuffed purse.

"Claudia Zacchara." She said, answering it.

"Claudia, its Johnny."

"Oh my God, John, are you alright?" she asked, sitting up straight, ignoring her blinding headache, and Nikolas's comforting hand on her leg.

"Um, have you watched the news lately?" he asked, trying to sound like this didn't bother him, but Claudia could tell he was nervous.

"No, I haven't." she said, not sure what to expect.

"Are you alone?"

"No." she answered, casting a glance at Nikolas, who was accepting the aspirin from Alfred, who didn't even throw her a curious glance.

"Well, just come down to the PCPD as soon as you can. Please." He said, and she froze.

"The PCPD John, what the hell happened?"

"I'll explain when you get here, but come alone." He said, making it clear that he wanted no one else to deal with this. He always depended on her. That thought made her smile.

"Alright John, I'm coming." She said, and she snapped the phone shut, tossing it back in her bag.

She smiled apologetically at Nikolas as she got off the bed, pulling on her heels.

"Is Johnny okay?" Nikolas asked, worry creasing his face.

"I'm not sure. I'm going to go down to the PCPD now." She said, straightening up and popping in a couple of the aspirin. "Thanks."

She headed toward the bedroom door which was hanging slightly open.

"Wait!" Nikolas called as she pushed open the door and exited. He caught up with her, much more familiar with the twists and turns of the house. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Ummmm, no, thank you. This is something I have to do alone." She said, stopping and looking up at him.

"Well, okay. But let me at least walk you out." He said, staring at her.

She didn't protest as he led her around the castle. It seemed like he took the longest route to the front door.

When they reached the front door, Claudia stopped again. "Thank you so much Nikolas, for everything."

"I didn't really do much. Hope everything is okay with your brother. You should call me sometime." He added, giving a little chuckle.

"Of course." She said, smiling back. She turned to leave, but doubled back, standing on her tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Talk to you later."

She walked swiftly to where the lift was waiting to take her back to the mainland.

It was freezing by the water, and she was already missing lying next to Nikolas in the warm mansion.

She looked behind her at Wyndemere, and she could have sworn she saw Nikolas waving from the front door.

He shut off the TV, pleased with his work.

The murder was all over the news. He barely left a trace of ever being there, he realized after he read the meager list of characteristics they were looking for.

He also was a bit shocked that Mr. Dominic Pirelli turned out to be a goody two shoes cop. He knew that Lulu was the victim of Johnny Zacchara, having been the only one who followed them into the woods.

And got pictures of the whole thing.

He laughed, sorting through all the pictures on his desk. He wondered who his next victim would be; Sam didn't get out of the hospital for a few months, weeks if he was lucky.

He was surprised that Jason Morgan had gotten arrested for his murder. It just showed how careless Jason really was.

He wondered if he should toy with his kids, but that was a little extreme, even for him.

No, he still had to be patient.

That poor Claire girl, she really was sweet. He remembered the shocked look on her face when he attacked her; she thought he needed medical assistance. Guess he was quite the actor. He actually hated to kill her.

But it was necessary.

The bloody message he left would only be obvious to some. The cops wouldn't know who he meant, but Jason would, Sam might.

And that was the point, to toy with Sam and Jason. Get into their heads, have them second guessing themselves.

He knew so much about this little city. He knew that Alexis' girl, Kristina slept with her (now ex) boyfriend, Keifer, and got pregnant. He knew that Nikolas Cassidine and Claudia Zacchara went to Wyndemere last night together. He knew Lulu and Dante were in love, and he knew that Dante was Olivia's son…with Sonny. He also knew that Jason was supposed to be with Elizabeth, but he was in love with Sam.

And he was going to use all of this to his advantage.

He needed to go out.

Time to play with the figures of Port Charles.

Dante was sitting wearily in a chair, when Mac came out to talk to him.

"Dante."

He looked up, rubbing at his face. Now he needed some sleep, and he wanted to see Lulu.

"You made a nice arrest." Mac said, giving him a little credit before he tore into him. "We want a trial date as soon as we can. This means, Lulu is going to have to testify."

"I'll work on it Mac, but I don't really want to drag Lulu through all this. It was hard for her the first time. I don't want her to relive this again." Mac could see how much Dante cared for Lulu, even if it was annoying at times.

"You're a cop; you know how these things work." Mac snapped, causing Dante to glare at him.

"Yeah, I know. But you could have some sympathy for a victim of rape." Dante snapped right back.

"Moving on," Mac said, ignoring him. "This was probably one of the stupidest things you could have done. You have revealed yourself as the undercover cop infiltrating Sonny's organization and since Jason was here, Sonny is going to find out twice as quick. Your life is currently on the line. I don't think you really thought before you set all this in motion. I'm not sure we even have enough evidence to convict Sonny. You basically just blew this case in about five minutes."

Dante had tried to hold his tongue, but towards the end was the last straw. "I'm a cop, and I punish those who do bad things. I wasn't about to ignore what I knew. As soon as I saw him, instinct just took over. And I don't regret it. This police department is only about convicting Sonny. You don't really care whether I live or die, just as long as I got enough evidence to send the bastard to jail. Well, lucky you, I think I did it."

Mac wasn't used to being disrespected, but he could understand that Dante was a little on edge. I mean, the guy's life was on the line, and his girlfriend got raped by her ex. If that happened to him, he would be on edge too.

"I want you to take a week or two off, give you time to calm down, get everything settled. I'm going to send some men down to Sonny's house to make an arrest. Maybe we will get something. We can't continue with the investigation since you blew it too hell, so this is our last shot. But in case the charges don't stick, watch your back."

"Yeah." Dante scoffed. "Just don't let Johnny out." He said, grabbing his coat and stormed out.

Sonny came through the doors of his living room to find Jason sitting in one of the chairs.

Sonny didn't react; he went straight to pour himself a drink. He didn't address Jason until he took a long satisfying gulp. "What is it?"

"It's Dominic." Jason said, not wanting this all to be true.

"What about him?" Sonny said, not particularly caring about a failed job.

Jason hesitated. He wasn't sure how Sonny would react. He might tell Jason to kill Dante, or he may talk to Olivia, considering he was her son. Then again, Lulu was dating him, and Luke and Sonny were old friends; it might start a feud between the two families. This sucked whatever way you looked at it. This whole time, Dominic was moving up in the organization, he was actually getting information on them. Was it enough to send them to jail?

Sonny was looking at him expectantly, and Jason decided to just come out with it and see how Sonny reacted.

"Dominic Pirelli is really Dante Falconari, Olivia's son and an undercover cop, trying to take us down."

Before Sonny could respond in any way, Olivia threw open the door.

The expression on her face said that she heard everything that just went on.

Jason looked behind her.

Michael was standing there.

Jason threw up his hands in defeat.

_Oh shit._

"Sonny, call me later." Jason said, slipping past Olivia. "You want me to take Michael?"

"No, looks like we need to have a little chat." Sonny said, moving toward Olivia, who shied away.

Jason took one last look at them all, and exited.

He needed to go see Sam.

Claudia tried straightening her wild hair as she walked through the door of the PCPD. Her makeup was a little screwy, and she hoped no one noticed that she was still in the same clothes as yesterday.

She could have gone home and changed, but she knew John needed her.

Claudia went up to the first cop she saw, which just so happened to be Lucky Spencer.

"Lucky, my brother called. I guess he's being held here. Can I see him?"

Lucky didn't realize who it was at first, but when he looked up, his eyes narrowed and Claudia knew she had stepped into a danger zone.

He dropped whatever file it was that he was holding, and took a step toward Claudia and yelled, "I swear to God, if your brother ever comes near her again, I'll kill him myself."

"What are you talking about?" Claudia asked, genuinely confused. She quickly learned it was the wrong thing to say.

"You don't know what I'm talking about?" he was yelling even louder now, attracting the attention of fellow cops. Some looked like they were about to jump in and drag Lucky back. "Your brother is a sick pig! I'll make sure he never sees the light of day again!"

Claudia raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. She did not like where this was going. She said nothing.

"Oh, now you're going to say nothing? You stay the hell away from me and my family!" he said, stepping even closer. Claudia could see the craziness in his eyes. She shivered, but it wasn't from the cold.

She tried to step back, but he stepped forward.

Now the fellow cops came forward, each grabbing his arm. He tried to fight them off, while screaming obscenities at her about John.

The cops dragged Lucky into a back room somewhere, and the silence after he was gone pressed down at her.

She needed to see her brother **now.**

"Somebody better tell me where the hell my brother is." Claudia said, giving all the cops surrounding them a dirty look until one of them stepped forward.

"Right this way Miss Zacchara." And she followed behind him.

"He's in the first cell on the left." The cop said, pointing down a hall. "We'll come get you when your time is up. Oh, and I have to check your purse." He said, holding out his hand.

She handed it over; thankful she took out the gun before she went to Jake's the night before.

"You're all set." The cop said, and she snatched her bag back and walked to the cell.

Johnny must have heard her heels on the floor, because he was already standing by the bars when she came up.

"Hey, thanks for coming." He said.

"As soon as you called, I came." She said, reaching for his hand through the bar. "Now when I came in here, I asked Lucky to take to see you, and he flipped his lid. Want to explain what happened now?"

Johnny sighed, withdrawing his hand. He went to go sit on the lumpy bed.

He waited a few more minutes before he said, "You're not going to like it."

"Well, I'm your sister, so I'll support you no matter what. I don't think things can get much worse. So what did you do?"

"I raped Lulu. In the woods, Dad's cabin actually."

"You _what?" _she exclaimed, her words bouncing back at her with a sickening echo. She lowered her voice. "How did anyone find out?"

"Heh, her Prince Charming Dominic came rushing to her rescue. She must have told him. And I was so stupid; I went back to the scene of the crime. Apparently he had the same idea. I saw him there." He said, getting up and walking around the small cell.

"John, why aren't you dead? I mean don't get me wrong, I'm ecstatic that you aren't, but Dominic works for Sonny, why didn't he just shoot you? I mean, no one would have known if it was in the woods, like you said."

Johnny turned back to her with a gleam in his eye. "Guess you really didn't watch the news, huh?"

"Enough games John, just tell me."

"Dominic is really Dante Falconari, undercover cop, trying to bring Sonny down." He watched her shocked reaction. "Oh, it gets better. Dante is Olivia's son, who we all know has a relationship with Sonny. Jason was getting released at the same time I was being brought in. He saw Dominic, I mean Dante and I would bet Jason went straight to Sonny with this."

Claudia took a minute to absorb the new information. "Will Sonny shoot Dante? I don't think so, since Olivia is his mother. I don't know what to do John. Wait, did you plead guilty to anything yet?"

"No, of course not." He said, with a look. "Why would I?"

"I don't know, why would you rape a girl in the woods?" she asked, exasperated. "Sorry. I'm going to get you the best lawyer that Daddy's money can buy, I promise." She said, and gripped his hand through the bars. "I don't think that I can get you out since they have proof, but I'll come visit until the trial." She said.

"Thanks." He said, his voice drained of energy when he realized he was going to have to spend all his time in jail until the trial and God knew when that was going to be.

"Love you, John." She said, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "See you soon."

"Love you, too." He said, letting his hand fall as she pulled back.

As he watched her retreating figure, he felt so alone. More alone then he had felt in a long time.

He knew that if he didn't have his sister, he would not survive.

And for that he was thankful.

Sam was escorted back to her room after physical therapy in a wheelchair, that way she didn't 'overexert herself.'

She had a new nurse taking care of her, Claire wasn't around. Everybody seemed to ignore her question when she asked where she was, so she gave up.

The new nurse pushed open her door and Sam looked up and locked eyes with Jason who was perched on her bed.

"Hey, you can't be in here right now." The nurse said in a no-nonsense tone of voice.

"Um, no it's okay. I was expecting him. Please." She said, lying easily.

The nurse looked doubtful but allowed it. "I'll come back later to check you. Page me if you need me."

Sam nodded and waited till she heard the door click shut behind her before she leaped out of her wheelchair and almost did a face plant.

Jason rushed forward and caught her easily. They stayed there for a second, looking into each other's eyes. "Jason." She whispered.

"Hey." He said, obviously amused.

They separated and Jason helped her tenderly to the bed.

There was a pause. She clutched the necklace that was on her neck.

"I see you finally opened my present." He said, moving closer.

She breathed an audible sigh of relief. "Oh, I was afraid it was from my killer." She said when he gave her a bewildered look. She was surprised at how easily she talked about her killer now. She had accepted the fact that she could be killed any minute. Weird.

"No, it was from me." He said, and she could see a slight blush creeping up his neck. "I wasn't sure if you liked it or not. I thought it might have been a little…much." It was obvious that he was referring to the card he had included in it.

"No, it was perfect." She breathed; amazed that he actually felt that way about her.

He moved so close to her, and he leaned in, as if to press his lips to hers.

A memory flashed before her- Jason's hand running up in down her back as he tried to get her to stay. Then him tilting her head up to press his lips against hers.

Coming back to the present, she turned away at the last second, and didn't look up to see the reaction on Jason's face.

"You're still with Elizabeth." Sam mumbled as way of an excuse.

He pulled back and cleared his throat. "Have you heard from your killer lately?" Jason asked, assuming she hadn't since she hadn't mentioned it.

"No, why?" she asked, noticing an implication in his voice.

"You watch the news this morning?" he asked, not wanting to stress her out.

"Nah, I've been at physical therapy and counseling all day." Her tone implied that it was torture. Jason understood, having had to go through it when he had his accident.

He sighed, "Then I really need to talk to you."

She looked at him, knowing that this wasn't going to be good.

"Claire was your intern right?" he asked, waiting for her affirmation. "She was brutally killed last night. I saw it Sam, it was absolutely horrible. I'm not sure who did it, but it was so sickening. Lucky saw me there and arrested me, which is why I couldn't come sooner."

Sam's face fell. So that was why everyone was acting so weird when she asked about Claire. Sam felt like she was going to be sick, thinking about Claire's lifeless body strewn over a side walk.

But Jason wasn't done yet.

"As Diane got me released, Dominic comes bursting through the door…arresting Johnny. Turns out Dominic is an undercover cop. And his real name is Dante Falconari, which makes him Olivia's son."

"Oh my God." Sam said, absorbing it all. "This is awful. What the hell is going on here in Port Charles, Jason?" she buried her face in her hands.

Instantly, Jason was beside her, wrapping her up in his arms. She didn't have the energy to fight it, and she leaned against him.

"I want to go home." She whimpered, knowing she sounded like a baby.

"I know, I know." Jason said, resting his chin on the top of her head. She felt his throat vibrate as he talked. "Only a month or so left, and then you can come home."

Dante stared at his apartment door, afraid to go in. He wasn't sure how he was going to explain all this to Lulu. He wasn't sure she could handle all that.

He sighed, knowing he couldn't stand out here in the hallway all day.

He jammed the key into the lock. He was so tired it took a few tries to open it.

He opened the door quietly, hoping that Lulu might still be asleep.

Peering around the door, he saw he had no such luck.

Lulu was perched on the edge of the bed, wearing one of his sweatshirts, hair still damp form a recent shower. She seemed antsy.

He smiled. No matter how dire his situation, knowing that he had Lulu to come home to made him feel a million times better. And he loved the fact that she was wearing his sweatshirt.

"Hey there." He said, shutting the door and throwing his keys on the night table. He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. He could feel her hesitation.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She glared up at him. "What's wrong? What's WRONG?" she bellowed. "It's all over the freaking news Dante! _Unknown victim raped in the woods by Johnny Zacchara; Dominic Falconari, undercover cop._ Sonny is going to know! He's going to find out and he is going to come after you and kill you! And you just waltz in here like nothing is wrong!" she stopped short when she realized the way Dante was looking at her.

He had a light smile and a gleam in his eye as he watched Lulu practically pull her hair out.

"What?" she snapped.

"I love when you get all worked up over me." He said, and saw her face soften a little bit.

He went and stood in front of her, resting one of his hands on her hip. The other, he used to smooth out the worry lines creasing her forehead. She closed her eyes at his touch.

Whispering in her ear, he said, "Everything is going to be fine. Mac is making Sonny's arrest tonight and Johnny will be put away. You are safe."

He felt her body shake and pulled back, realizing she was crying.

"I don't deserve you." She said quietly. "You gave up everything just to keep me safe. I don't deserve you." She cried into his shoulder.

"Lulu, if anything I don't deserve you. I'm doing all this because I love you." He made her look him in the eyes. "I love you." He said, searching her eyes to make sure she believed him.

"I love you." She answered back, knowing that she would always love him. Always.

She barely got the words out before Dante was pressing his lips to hers. He leaned her back on the bed, and she grabbed at him, needing him. They kissed passionately, but Dante had to control himself, knowing that Lulu was still healing, and may not be sure what she wanted.

He moved back a little, still hovering over her, breathing heavy, looking down at her face. He wanted her so bad it hurt, but he couldn't take advantage of her.

"Did I tell you how much I love it when you wear my sweatshirts?" he said, lightening the mood.

She laughed, and he reveled in the sound, knowing he was one person who could always make her feel better.

She pulled his face back down to hers and he kissed her neck before relaxing.

He lay beside her, breathing in her hair, and he fell asleep, gripping her tightly.

Olivia sat on Sonny's couch, not saying a word. She was practically wringing her hands, and was a nervous mess. Her makeup was smudged because she had been crying.

_Jason and Sonny knew her son was undercover._

The cat was certainly out of the bag now. She glanced at Michael, who was seated across from her. She wondered how he was coping with this, too.

Sonny sat with his leg crossed, contemplating what to say. He was obviously pissed at having been infiltrated, but he wouldn't show that much in front Olivia and Michael. That was business, no need to involve them.

"Is it true?" Sonny said, still not believing it.

"It's true." Olivia said miserably.

"Told you, Dad." Michael said, wishing he could gloat, but this was too serious a matter.

Sonny didn't bother with an answer. He turned away from Olivia and Michael, nervously biting his lip. He crossed to the front of his desk and all of a sudden punched it with great force, causing a loud bang.

Olivia nearly jumped out of her skin, and it was then that she let her second round of tears go.

"Dammit Olivia! Why didn't you tell me!" Sonny said, whipping around to face her. There was a wild look in his eyes, one that Olivia remembered seeing when they were together as teenagers. She always made him so angry, and she hadn't seen that look in a long time. "We have been together all this time and you just happened to forget that your son was an undercover cop trying to take me down?"

"There's more to the story if you just shut your trap long enough to hear it!" Olivia managed to yell out with force.

"Well then, what is it? Because I would _love_ to hear the excuse you come up with now." He replied sarcastically.

Olivia opened and closed her mouth. She didn't really want to tell Sonny her secret, but it might be the only way to save Dante's life. She glanced over at Michael.

Sonny followed her gaze and looked at his son. His face softened. "Michael, why don't you head on home? Olivia and I have some things to discuss." He said, malice in his voice as he said Olivia's name.

Michael glanced up at his father and was grateful to get out of there. For once, he didn't argue and he got off the couch and grabbed his coat. He was out the door in a matter of seconds, with barely a glance at Olivia.

"What is the other part of the story? What could you possibly say to make this better? Our relationship is ruined! Everything is destroyed! All you had to do is tell me, and we could have worked this out. But you had to hide things from me."

"And what would you have done Sonny? Honestly, you would have gone after my son anyway. Apparently our relationship doesn't even matter to you if you are really thinking about knocking off our son!" Olivia yelled, really getting heated up.

She didn't even realize her slip up…

"What did you say?" Sonny asked slowly.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked, catching her breath, her face flushed.

"I thought you just said… _our_ son." Sonny said, watching her for her reaction.

Olivia's face drained off all color and she felt sick to her stomach. "I…well I…" she stammered, realizing her mistake.

That was all Sonny needed for confirmation. "Dante is my son?" he choked out.

Olivia nodded, thinking this was the only was Dante would stay alive for the foreseeable future. She knew this was going to stir up a lot of shit, but she needed to do this. She truly believed this was the right thing.

"Yes, you are Dante's father. We are his parents Sonny."

Sonny sank onto the couch in disbelief, not knowing how much more he could take.

As if on cue, there was a bang on the door.

"Port Charles Police, open up!"


	27. Welcome Home

_**I just realized that it stopped separating the scenes, which is probably making it harder to read. I'm sorry about that and I'll try and fix it.**_

_**Please comment!**_  
_**xoxo Janelle**_

"_**Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love…" **_

_Months Later…._

Kristina sat at the kitchen table, watching the sun rise up through the trees of the forest. She was resting one of her hands on her swollen belly, reveling in the peacefulness of this moment.

Melissa and Noah were still sleeping, and she could feel her baby beginning to kick under her hand. She couldn't help but smile, knowing that the baby was hers. She was still scared about that future though.

It had been a while since she'd been here, and Melissa told her that she should expect her baby any day now. Kristina wasn't thrilled about actually giving birth, but what made her even more uncomfortable was that she was giving birth in some place other than a hospital.

She took a deep breath and heard a stirring behind her. She turned, with difficulty to see who it was.

Noah stood there, thumb still hanging half out of his mouth and his hair a mess. His eyes were sleepy looking, but he looked up at her and smiled.

"Hey Noah. You're up pretty early." She said softly, smiling back down at him. She and Noah had gotten pretty close over her stay here. She used to pick him up and play with him all the time, before her belly got in the way.

He climbed up into a neighboring chair. "Yes, I wasn't really sleepy." He replied, talking with his sweet little lisp. He would eventually grow out of it, but she would miss it when it was gone. Which made her think how much longer she would be here.

She looked back out the window, trying not to let Noah see her sad.

"What are you looking at?" he asked so innocently, leaning halfway over the table to see.

"Just looking at the sun rise." Kristina said, then turned back to Noah. "Be careful! You might fall."

"I won't fall, I'm a big boy!" he said, but he leaned back all the same.

She looked at him with a small smile on her face. There was something so familiar about Noah, that she couldn't quite put her finger on… His eyes, sort of reminded her of… Jason. He reminded her of Jason and Sam. It could be Sam and Jason's kid.

But that couldn't be right, could it? Was it even possible?

She decided to push it out of her mind. Noah was Melissa's kid, and she left it at that.

"So are you hungry buddy?" Kristina asked him.

"Not yet, Krissy. I want to watch TV." He said, hopping down off the chair and sprinting into the living room. She heard him stop and then the sound effects of some random show filter from the room.

Noah was such a great kid. She hoped her son or daughter was that good. And wouldn't it be weird if she were Noah's aunt?

She pushed all silly thoughts out of her mind, and finished sipping on her juice. She stood up and stretched her back, bringing the glass and dumping it into the sink.

When she turned back around, Melissa was perched in the doorway.

"Good morning." Kristina said politely.

"Good morning." Melissa said, but she was staring at Kristina in a weird way. "Have you been having contractions yet?"

Kristina hesitated; she was getting an uneasy feeling around Melissa. "A little bit but them seem to be getting closer together." She replied.

"Well, I'm going to go get some things together so that when your baby decides to enter this world, we won't be scrambling for supplies." Melissa said, finally smiling.

Kristina nodded, curious about how Melissa was acting. She was too eager about Kristina's baby being born. She knew that she was trying to help but still…

Kristina was acting really weird today, and she wanted to calm down. She traveled into the living room and sat on one of the couches not occupied by Noah. He seemed to be watching Tom and Jerry. Nothing like violent cartoons in the morning.

No sooner had she settled back into the cushions then she was struck with a terrible pain through her side. It was a worse contraction then any of the other ones. She yelped with pain.

Noah looked at her, worried. "Are you okay Krissy?" he asked.

She looked at him. "Can you .. go get your.. mom please?" Kristina panted through the pain.

Noah got up off the couch and peddled it to the bathroom, screaming for his mom. A few minutes later, Melissa came hustling around the corner.

"Kristina are you alright? What's wrong? Is it the baby?" she asked quickly.

"I think my water broke."

* * *

Sam was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed, dressed in her own clothes, and able to support herself.

It had been months that she had to stay stuck in the hell hole of a hospital. She had to go through numerous physical and mental evaluations and tests, but today was the day she was finally able to go home. She had progressed nicely, and now, finally she could go home and see her family.

Best of all, Jason was coming in to bring her home. She sighed at the thought.

She was getting impatient though, she wanted to get out of here. She looked around the room, the white walls, and the tiled floor, the hard bed. She felt like her time here was a significant part of her life, and she knew she would never forget her coma or the months she spent here.

She started walking around and looked out the long window. She subconsciously clutched at the necklace hanging at the hollow of her throat. Why couldn't he get here sooner?

She leaned against the wall, thinking that he would never get here.

Then there was the savoring sound of a knock at her door.

When she turned, she saw Jason in the door, with a real smile on his face. And Jason with a real smile on his face was rare. She was glad she could bring it out in him.

"Took you long enough to get here." She said, testily. But he could tell she was joking.

She tried to contain herself, she really did. But she couldn't spend another second not in his arms. She closed the distance between the two of them, in a couple of strides.

He wrapped his arms around her and she squeezed him tight. The heat of her body pressed against him, and it was all he could do not to start kissing her right then. He wasn't sure that she wanted him in the same way he wanted her, so he was going to follow her lead.

He focused on her body. It was not as scrawny as it was when she first came out of her coma. She had gotten a lot stronger and was becoming more like the Sam McCall he knew and loved. Correction: Love, present tense.

"I'm so glad to be coming home." She said, pulling back a little to look him in the eye. "And I know you will protect me." There was a lot of faith in those words. He knew how much strength it had for Sam to put her trust in someone else. Usually she w as such an independent woman, relying on no one but herself. But when she let her guard down, and let others into her heart, she was so easy to love.

They stared in each other's eyes, trying to find what they were looking for in each other. He knew she felt guilty about hurting Lucky. And he knew he should feel some sort of remorse for doing this to Elizabeth, but… being with Sam was just… _right._

She must have seen the lust in his eyes because she slipped her arms behind his neck and pulled his face down to meet hers. He ran his tongue along her lower lip and felt her sigh and lean forward for more. And he gave it to her. He kissed her with all the longing and missing he had done in his years apart from her. And with that kiss, he knew that she felt the same way about him.

When he was done, they were both breathless and speechless. She looked guiltily behind him at the door, as if expecting someone to come in. Someone like Elizabeth. She was panting, and he worried that he had pushed her too far.

"Are you okay? You don't feel like you're going to pass out or anything do you?" he asked, and immediately knew it was the wrong thing to say.

She pushed him away. "Everyone needs to stop treating me like some freaking china doll. I'm _fine._ I spent months in this hospital making sure I was fine. And now I just want to go home." She said, glaring at him.

He moved closer to her. "Sam, it's only because I care. I care a lot." He said, and he slipped a hand under her shirt and made circles on her back. "I don't want to hurt you. Ever again." he said.

She had goosebumps whenever he touched her, but it wasn't from the cold. She relaxed her body, knowing that all Jason was trying to do was help her. She turned around and taking his other hand, she kissed each of the fingertips softly. She could practically feel the self restraint that Jason was showing. She knew he wanted her back, and she wanted him, too…but she wasn't sure what to do about Lucky and Elizabeth. She knew it was wrong, but with Jason it felt so right.

"Can we just go home now?" she asked when they were done.

"Mmm…sure." He said, pulling away reluctantly, tracing a finger along her jaw. "Lets' go."

Sam grabbed a backpack filled with her Christmas gifts and some other things that were lying around. "I'm ready." She said.

He took her hand, loving the feeling of her delicate hands in his. He kissed the top of her hand and grabbed her backpack. He led her out the door.

At the door, she paused and looked back. For some reason, it was harder to leave then she thought. This place had become her home for the past weeks. It had been her recovery unit and she was sad to leave.

But all she had to do was think of Jason's hand in hers and the family she had waiting for her at home and decided leaving wouldn't be so bad.

Jason had waited patiently while she said her silent goodbyes. He didn't become annoyed like someone else might have. He understood her so well.

Which is why she let him lead her hand in hand out of the hospital, not caring who saw.

* * *

It had been months since Sonny found out Dante was an undercover cop and really his son with Olivia, and he still hadn't done anything to deal with the problem.

It wasn't like he could take him out; he was his son for Christ's sake. And he was Olivia's son, so he wouldn't kill him even if he wasn't his son. Despite this, he still loved Olivia. Though he was extremely mad at Olivia for not telling him about his son, he still loved her.

Jason was pissed that someone had infiltrated the organization and lived, but he was more concerned with Sam, who was getting out of the hospital today.

He hadn't seen Dante or Olivia since the day he found out. He wasn't sure how he would react to either one of them.

As for the cops, they had tried to arrest him on some chump charges the same day. They couldn't hold him, especially when Diane came in. Diane was a wonderful lawyer. He knew this wouldn't be the last time he would hear from the police; Dante had seen plenty of how the business worked, and probably turned all that evidence into the cops.

Sonny sighed, not sure what to do. He wondered if Dante even knew Sonny was his father. He would surely have come storming down his door when he found out.

So why hadn't Olivia told him yet?

* * *

Lulu felt calm and stress- free and she didn't want to leave this moment. She was walking hand in hand with Dante, lightly swinging their arms back and forth, sipping on milkshakes from Kelly's. Vanilla for her, chocolate for him. That was a plus with living above a restaurant; all you had to do was walk downstairs and get some food.

She didn't like coming out of the apartment by herself. She felt that everyone was looking at her, and knew her secret. She felt like they were whispering behind her back about being raped. She didn't like it.

But with Dante, it made everything better. She could focus only on him and ignore everyone else. Plus, it wasn't like she could spend her life in Dante's apartment.

For the past months, she had been temporarily living at Dante's place, so she hadn't really seen Maxie. She missed her best friend. She knew she should move back in with Maxie, so she wouldn't be burdening Dante at his place. But he hadn't complained, and she didn't think she could go to sleep at night without him there.

"You've been quiet, what are you thinking about?" Dante asked, stopping to throw his empty cup away.

"Oh, nothing in particular." She said, throwing her cup away too, though it was only half empty. She still hadn't gotten her appetite back, but Dante kept pushing her to eat. Good thing he didn't notice. "I want to talk to you about some things." She said.

He seemed confused. "Shoot." He said.

She gestured to a patch of grass in the park they were in, and they both sat down.

At first, she didn't speak. She just watched the other people in the park; kids playing on the playground, people laughing together, and she realized she was jealous at how easy their lives were. It was like they didn't know the danger that constantly surrounded them.

"Are you okay?" Dante asked. "I didn't do anything wrong did I?" he said, stroking her hair as she sat crossed legged in front of him.

She leaned back into his chest. "It's not you. It's just… I can't stop worrying about things."

"What kind of things?"

"I can't keep staying at your place. I don't want to keep bothering you; I'm a big girl and I need to take care of myself. Plus that place is way too small for the both of us. I just… I like staying with you."

"I want you to stay with me." He said, and she knew he meant it. "But you're right. That place is too small." He placed his chin on the top of her head and thought quietly for a moment. "Why don't we find an apartment, and you could move in with me permanently?" he suggested tentatively.

She twisted around to meet his eye. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do. I will do anything to make you happy. And if you weren't staying with me, I would probably be worrying about you every second of the day." He said smiling.

"You're worried about me?" she asked incredulously. "I feel terrible that I basically put you out of work and painted a target on your back. And you're worried about me!" she said, voicing all her opinions.

"Lulu, you didn't ask for any of this." He said. He didn't realize that Lulu blamed herself for all of this. "And I'm not out of a job, I took a leave. There's a difference." He pointed out. "You have absolutely nothing to worry about. I have it all covered."

"But-"

Dante put a finger on her lips to silence her. "Do you trust me?"

"Well, yes, of course." She said, her breath hot against his skin.

"Then believe me when I say I'm fine. We will be fine, I promise. We love each other and that's all we need. We will get through this. There is nothing to worry about. Nothing."

When it seemed like Lulu was going to open her mouth to protest, he crushed his lips to hers. He felt her give in and smiled into the kiss.

When she pulled back, she saw the adoring look he gave her, and she knew that he would really go to the ends of the earth for her. She was glad that they had each other. They stared at each other until Dante's phone snapped him out of his reverie.

"Hello?"

"Dante, its Mac."

"What is it?" he said tersely, peeved that he interrupted him and Lulu.

"We set a trial date."

Dante looked at Lulu, panicky. "What?"

Lulu threaded her fingers through his and lines of worry creased her forehead. And just when he told her she had nothing to worry about…

"Mac, I already told you that was not a possibility." He said through gritted teeth.

"Too bad I'm the police commissioner and you'll do what I say or else you won't have a job!" Mac exploded on him, then seemed to calm down. "You know how these things work Detective."

Dante sighed. He knew how these things worked too well, and he sure wasn't thinking about this when he arrested Johnny. God, Lulu was going to hate him after all this. "I get it. It's just… she's been through so much already. We were just starting to get to a good place." He said, trying to get Mac see where he was coming from.

Lulu finally realized what they were talking about. She withdrew her hand and hugged her knees to her chest, rocking gently to comfort herself. She had such a lost look on her face that it tore at Dante's heart. When he reached over to try and comfort her, she shied away from him. He had broken her trust and now had to pay the price.

When she saw the hurt look on his face when she pushed him away, she gave him an apologetic look and leaned into his touch. It was not Dante's fault any of this was happening. He was just trying to help.

She unclenched her hands, and Dante could see her nails had left marks in her skin from where she was pushing down too hard. He massaged her shoulders gently, letting her know that he was still here and that he wasn't going anywhere. No matter what he did though, she still had that distant look in her eyes. He needed to call her back to him but he had no idea how.

"I get that this will be upsetting to her, but it's the only way we have proof. No one else saw it, and you didn't take her to the hospital when you found her. This is the only way or else we have to release Johnny. It was tough enough trying to hold him without bail. We had to convince the judge that he was a flight risk. His sister was not very happy about that."

"When's the date Mac?" Dante said, ignoring everything he had just said.

"Well we figured sooner was better than later. So we got a judge for Friday."

"That's in two freaking days Mac!" Dante yelled, and Lulu jumped. He lowered his voice. "It doesn't give us much time to prepare at all." Despite the dire situation, Lulu loved how he said _us_ instead of just _her._

"I know but at least it will be out of the way." Mac said, trying to be optimistic.

When Dante said nothing, Mac decided to end the conversation. "Court starts at three. Good luck." Mac finished and hung up.

Dante removed the phone from his ear and chucked it onto the grass in frustration. He rubbed his eyes with his fist, trying to think.

He looked over at Lulu. She was staring at him with a look that he couldn't quite place. It held some fear for what lay ahead which was totally understandable. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. But she also had a look of trust and love. It was then that Dante knew that they would be together forever, bonded in a way that he had never felt before. And he knew she felt it too.

She leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth. He turned his head slightly and kissed her full on the lips, and he could feel her trembling.

"We will get through this." He kept murmuring to her between the kisses. "We will get through this, and then you will be safe."

"I love you." Was how she answered back.

"Hey you two, get a room." a familiar voice floated their way.

"Oh Maxie!" Lulu exclaimed and immediately jumped up to give her best friend a hug.

"Lulu! Oh my God your all skin and bones! Hasn't he been feeding you?" Maxie said, glaring at Dante over her shoulder.

Lulu thought Dante might get mad, but he just chuckled. "Of course I have. I am a wonderful cook. You know, I've been teaching her all sorts of old family recipes."

"Yeah, Italian food is the best." Lulu said, only a little sarcastically.

Maxie turned back to Lulu. "It's so good to see you. I miss you at work; Kate has been giving me so much crap. And the apartment is so lonely without you." Maxie said with a little pout.

"What about Spinelli?" Lulu asked.

She saw Maxie's eyes harden. "What about him?" she asked tightly, feigning nonchalance.

"Oh no Maxie, what happened? Did you guys break up?"

"We need to catch up on a lot. Let's go somewhere and get some drinks and talk." Maxie suggested with a look at Dante, making it clear that she wouldn't tell Lulu anything as long as he was there.

"Uh…" Lulu looked behind her at Dante.

He cleared his throat. "Um, go ahead Lulu. You and Maxie need some time to catch up. Some girl time."

Immediately he saw the look of panic that flashed in her eyes. She gave him a helpless look that said, _please don't leave me._ But he knew that he needed to let her fend for herself sometimes. He didn't want her becoming too dependent on him. She needed other people in her life.

"Come on already!" Maxie said, stomping her foot. Her impatience hadn't faded with time.

"Lulu, it's alright, go. You have your cell phone; if you need me call me. You are going to be fine. Come back to the apartment when you're done. I'll be there." he stepped closer to her and she gripped his hand for dear life.

He gently pried her fingers from his. He knew this hurt them both, but she needed this. She needed to learn how to live her life again; how to move on.

"I love you. Be safe." He said, kissing her forehead. Then he turned to Maxie with a smile. "She's all yours."

"Finally." Maxie huffed, linking her arm with Lulu. She dragged her off, trying to decide where to go to get the best drinks and privacy. Lulu looked back only once, as if to make sure that Dante wouldn't just run off. He gave her a small wave and a smile. Then they turned a corner and he was alone.

He sighed. Letting her go was harder then he thought. This whole time he didn't want to sit around and wonder if she was okay and where she was. He needed to do something to take his mind off of her. She would be fine.

He started walking along, aimlessly. Suddenly his phone rang. Figuring it was Mac, he picked up the phone, snapping, "What now?"

"Dante Angelo Falconari, is that any way to talk to your mother?"

"Ma? I haven't heard from you in forever." He blew out his breath. "How you been?" He really hadn't talked to his Ma in a long time. He remembered the last encounter he had with her was when he saw Sonny and her together. He had almost forgotten about that. This thing with Lulu had been all he had been thinking about.

"I'm doing alright." She answered, but he could hear a lilt in her voice. He brushed it off as that she was surprised that he was talking to her after his mini meltdown about Sonny. "Listen baby, I need to talk to you."

"Sure Mom, I kind of need to talk to you too. But we have to make it a little quick." Dante said, thinking of his promise that he would be at the apartment when Lulu got back.

"Where should I meet you?" Olivia asked.

"Is Kelly's okay?"

"Can we just go up to your apartment? We need some privacy for this." Olivia suggested.

Dante shrugged, thinking that this worked out well for him. "Sure Ma, whatever works."

"Good, I'll see you there in 10 minutes alright?"

"Okay. See you then." Dante said, and hung up. He decided to jog to his house; it was nice out and he needed to stay in shape. He chuckled, he hadn't thought about much of anything since Lulu got raped. This was kind of nice. After the trial, he and Lulu could have a real life together, not constantly worrying about being safe. They could worry about the unimportant things, like what to wear or eat for dinner. Things that normal people thought about.

He picked up his pace, wondering what his Ma had to tell him. Whatever it was, it must be important. He cleared his head while he jogged home.

* * *

"It's so good to see my own house!" Sam squealed as the pulled into the parking garage of her apartment. "Actually, it's nice to see anything besides the white walls of the hospital." She laughed and he couldn't help but smile with her.

Sam had rolled down the window and stuck her head out, looking at the streets as if she had never seen them before. Her hair had blown out behind her and she looked as beautiful as ever. She kept taking deep breaths and when he asked her what she was doing, she said she was smelling the air. She said that smelling polluted air was better than the disinfectant smell that constantly followed her around at the hospital. She looked so carefree. He was so glad she was better.

Jason got out of the car and went around the car to open the passenger door. He held out his hand for Sam to take.

"Ever the gentleman." She said, a teasing lilt to her voice. She took his hand and exited the car. He thought she would let go of his hand after she got out of the car, but she didn't. He rubbed small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb.

When they got inside, he let go of her hand and took the backpack that she was carrying. She protested only a little; he didn't want her to strain herself but she wanted to be independent and stubborn.

"Do you remember the way?" he asked jokingly.

"Well, yeah. It hasn't been that long Jason." She smiled sweetly up at him and he wanted to take her in his arms right then and there. But he couldn't, at least not yet.

They kept up a steady stream of conversation all the way to her apartment door. When they reached it, they stood and stared at it for a while.

"Do you have to go?" she asked, not wanting to be alone. She hadn't thought far enough ahead that she would have to stay at her apartment _alone_ with a killer after her. She started trembling.

"Hey, easy. I'm not going anywhere right now. It's okay." He said soothingly. He rubbed her back until she calmed down. "C'mon, lets head inside."

She sighed but complied. He a spare key from out of his pocket and unlocked the door.

It was dark when they went inside, but Jason flipped a switch on the wall and they were bathed in a soft glow.

She turned around and the first thing she saw was the _Welcome Home Sam! _banner hanging by the window. Next thing she knew, people jumped out and screamed surprise!

She jumped back and bumped into Jason before she realized that she recognized the people there. It was all her friends and family, here to welcome them home.

She turned back to Jason. "You knew about this didn't you?" she asked accusingly.

Jason just shrugged and reached around her to drop her backpack on the couch. He went over to the counter to get a drink.

No sooner had he left her side then she was bombarded by Molly and Alexis. Molly wrapped her arms around her waist and buried her head in her stomach. "Oh Sam I missed you so much. I'm so glad your home!"

"I missed you, too." Sam said, bending down and hugging her back. "It's so good to be home." She said, ruffling Molly's hair. "Now whose idea was it to have this party? Hmm?" she asked, fixing Alexis and Molly with a glare.

Molly pulled back and said, "Well I'm going to go….get something to drink." she scurried through the crowd of people.

"Guess that answers that question." Sam said smirking at Alexis. Alexis was just staring at her with a strange expression on her face.

"Oh my little Sammy." She whispered and came forward for a hug.

Sam leaned into her mother gratefully. It felt so good to be wrapped in her mother's arms; someone else to bare her burden. She wished she was a kid again so she could be held by her mom.

Sam had felt something change between her and her mom from emerging from this coma. She and Alexis had not really been close because of her childhood, but they seemed to have gotten closer throughout this ordeal. Kristina running away on top of the coma had forced mother and daughter to have a relationship. Sam liked it, even though it was strange being so close to her mother at first.

Sam felt guilty thinking of Kristina. Sam knew the reason why Kristina had run away and she saw how much it was tearing her mom apart, and yet she still hadn't brought herself to tell Alexis. Kristina had only told Sam her secret because she didn't think she could hear. This technically wasn't her secret to tell. But she wanted Kristina back as much as anyone…

When Alexis broke the hug, her eyes were shiny and she was sniffling.

"Oh come on Mom. It's a party." She laughed and Alexis laughed, too.

"I'm back." Jason announced, smiling at Sam. Alexis must have noticed the look in his eyes because she looked at Sam with an eyebrow raised. Sam just shrugged her shoulders innocently and turned back to Jason.

"Ooh what did you bring me?" she asked.

He handed her a very fruity looking martini. "And you made this?" she asked in disbelief, causing Alexis to snicker.

Jason pretended to look hurt. "Of course I made it." He scoffed. Sam just looked at him. "Alright so I had a little help." He admitted, looking over to the drink table.

Maxie waved cheerfully, Lulu looking uncomfortable by her side. Sam smiled and waved back, sipping on her drink.

"Mmm it's pretty good." She said and she was bending down to set it on the table when someone snuck up behind her, grabbing her sides.

Jason was in front of her and saw her reaction; the blood draining from her face, the way her mouth curled up to scream and the way her chest rose and fell rapidly.

_Look at me._ He urged with his mind. She met his eyes as if she could read his mind. _Your okay. Your fine,_ he told her with his eyes. Her breathing returned to normal and color returned to her face.

"Remember me?" Lucky asked from behind her, nuzzling her neck.

Sam pulled her mouth into a shaky smile and made herself turn to face Lucky. "How could I forget you?" she asked.

Lucky leaned in and gave her a long, slow kiss.

Jason's eyes shadowed as he watched them, and he turned away because he couldn't bear to watch. As he turned, he met eyes with Alexis. He knew she knew everything and he didn't like it.

He turned back as they separated and he took pleasure that she didn't look too happy about their kiss.

"Lucky." She said, embarrassed that Jason had to see all that. "That's highly inappropriate." Her cheeks flushed as Jason managed to catch her eye.

"I just missed you that's all." Lucky said, not fazed at all. He smiled easily at her.

Alexis cleared her throat, noticing things that she didn't want to. "Well, I'm going to go mingle. Glad your back hunny." She said and kissed her cheek, then leaned in close to her ear. "You better be careful. Or this will blow up in your face." She whispered, and then pulled back. Smiling at Jason and Lucky, she left the small circle.

Sam sighed before turning back to the guys.

"C'mon Sam, let's go talk to people." Lucky said, completely ignoring Jason. He gripped Sam's hand and she had no choice but to follow. She threw a glance over her shoulder at Jason, showing that she wanted to be with him. But he didn't want to interfere so he just let Lucky lead Sam.

Now that Sam wasn't here, he felt uncomfortable. He hated being in crowded places. But he wouldn't just leave Sam without saying goodbye. He knew she would meet up with him as soon as she could. For now, he needed just to relax.

He put his beer up to his mouth and then realized it was empty. He wandered back over to the drink table where Maxie and Lulu were still hovering.

As he came closer, he saw that Maxie was filling Lulu in on everything she missed. That's when Jason remembered that Lulu had been raped, by Johnny Zacchara.

"Hey Lulu." Jason said, stepping closer. He had interrupted Maxie midsentence, which she never liked. He hadn't seen Maxie in a while either. Since she and Spinelli had broken up, he hadn't seen her at the house, which was pretty unusual. Spinelli, meanwhile was grieving over the loss of Claire and Maxie and wouldn't come out of the house.

"Oh Jason, hi." She said, and she looked up at him nervously.

Jason, while he didn't talk much, was very observant. He noticed all the changes in Lulu, the big ones and the small ones. This wasn't fair to have happened to her.

"I haven't seen you around in awhile." He said, trying to make conversation.

"Yeah, well…" she shrugged.

Maxie piped in. "I finally managed to drag her away from Dante. I needed to spend time with my best friend. I needed to tell her all about Spinelli and how he cheated. She was just as surprised as I was." Maxie and Jason glared at each other, Maxie because of Spinelli and Jason from the mention of Dante.

"I've been living with Dante for the time being." Lulu put in. she had noticed the way Jason's demeanor changed when Dante was mentioned. Lulu knew for a fact that Jason hated traitors, and Dante was possibly the biggest of them all. The only reason that Dante was still alive was that he was Olivia's son. Jason couldn't be too happy about that.

Jason could tell Lulu was getting uneasy. This wasn't the Lulu Spencer he knew. The Lulu Spencer he knew was strong, independent, not afraid of anything. This ordeal took a lot out of her, and it would take a lot for her to get back to normal. She may never get back to normal. He hoped Dante knew what he was doing. At least he was a good guy, Jason could tell that much. Traitor or not, he would treat Lulu right.

"So how is Spinelli?" Maxie interjected.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Jason retorted.

"I'm not going near that cheating, lying, sonofa-"

"Maxie." Lulu warned.

Maxie sighed, and Jason could tell this whole thing was taking a lot out of her, too.

"Listen Maxie, I can tell you still love Spinelli. Maybe if you two talked things out then you could work things out." Jason suggested, even though relationships weren't really his thing.

"Thanks Jason." Maxie said. "But I really don't think that will work."

Jason shrugged as the girls went back to talking and he grabbed a beer, wondering when this party would be over.

* * *

Today was finally the day.

Sam was home from the hospital.

Now all he had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity and she would be done for.

He had waited this long, he could wait a little longer.

Now he had to decide whether or not he would go to the coming home party at Sam's apartment. If he left now, he would be late. Of course, it would be rude to go uninvited.

Decisions, decisions.

* * *

Dante slipped off his sweaty shirt and tried to freshen up until his Ma got here. Jogging home had been exactly what he needed. He decided he wanted to jog every morning.

He slipped on a clean shirt and sprayed some cologne on.

He didn't realize how much he wanted to talk to his mother. He needed to tell someone about all that was happening with Lulu, and of all the people, he knew his Ma would understand most.

He started picking up things around the room. Lulu had picked up the apartment as something to do when she was home, so there wasn't much to do.

Bored, he collapsed on his bed. He wondered how Lulu was doing. She was strong so he assumed she was doing fine, but he still had to resist the urge to call her to make sure. Maxie would take good care of her anyway.

He rolled over to his side, and closed his eyes. It had been such a long time since he had gotten a good night's sleep.

He must have fallen asleep, because a sharp knocking on the door woke him up.

He stumbled over to the door, his hair ruffled and his eyes tired. He opened the door, and saw his Ma standing there.

"Hi, Ma. I was wondering when you would get here." He smiled lazily at her.

"Were you just sleeping, baby?" she asked, a casserole in her hand.

"Just taking a little power nap." He said, peeking under the tin foiled casserole. "Mmm one of my favorites." He said, laughing. "Thanks Ma. Come in."

Olivia stepped inside the house and stood around while Dante brought the casserole into the kitchen and slipped it in the fridge.

"I've never seen you live in a place this clean Dante." Olivia said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yeah, I have Lulu to thank for that." He called from the kitchen.

A few crashes and some swearing later and Dante emerged from the kitchen.

"So Ma," Dante said, clapping his hands together. "What was it that you had to tell me?"

"Uh…why don't you go first?" Olivia said. _Don't chicken out, _she told herself vehemently. _He deserves to know. _

"Whatever you say, Ma." He said, and sat back down on his bed. He sighed, putting his head in his hands, not sure where to start. So much had happened in the last few months.

"Whatever it is, it must be really bothering you." Olivia observed. Her son was a good-natured, happy go lucky kid. It wasn't always that you saw him like this.

"Well the first part is pretty bad." Dante admitted, and he looked up to see his mom's reaction.

She just stared at him. "Dante Angelo, what did you do?" she said, taking a seat very slowly.

"Not me Ma." He said. He hated it when she treated him like he was five years old again. "Something terrible happened to Lulu."

An alarmed look crossed her face and she opened her mouth to say something.

"Easy Ma. It happened months ago." He took a deep breath. Even though it happened months ago, it was still hard. It was probably even worse for Lulu. "I don't really know where to start. This is going to be hard for me so please don't say anything until I'm finished, okay Ma?"

"You have my word." Olivia said solemnly.

He stared at his mother, knowing that she would be one of the best people to tell. She would understand what he was telling her and try to help him and Lulu. He just needed to talk to someone.

So he began the story.

"You know a few months ago, me and Lulu were just starting to date right? Well, I had gotten some food from downstairs and brought it up here. We had this dinner planned, and Lulu had called to tell me she had stayed late at the office. I told her I wanted to give her a ride home and she refused, being as stubborn as she is. She still isn't here 20 minutes later and I'm getting worried. The next phone call I get I don't hear much except at the end Lulu calling for help. I drove to Spinelli's to see where the call came from and I went to the park by the Metro Court. I saw her phone there but she wasn't. All the signs pointed to a struggle, so I followed a trail into the woods. There's an old cabin back there, that belongs to the Zacchara's, nobody knew about it. So I went in there and saw a figure escaping by the window and Lulu on the bed. She had been raped."

Olivia looked at the pain that was plain on her sons face. He obviously cared a lot about Lulu and the fact that she had been hurt that way really tore him apart. She inched closer to him and took one of his hands in her own. She squeezed it reassuringly as he continued.

"I…I didn't know what to do. I was just as scared for her. She was unconscious at one point. I brought her back here, when I should have brought her to the hospital. She didn't want to go to the hospital or the police, and at first I couldn't understand why. So I called Robin Scorpio over from General Hospital and she treated her."

Olivia could hear the tears coating Dante's words, but she didn't say anything. Dante always hated to cry, so when he did, it was a big deal.

"She was weak, and wouldn't eat at times, but together she pulled out of her depression like state. She had lost a lot of weight and I felt like I was the enemy, not knowing what to do. I had a feeling the reason she didn't want to go to the police was because she knew who had done this to her. I got her to tell me and it was Johnny Zacchara, her ex boyfriend."

The sadness on his face slowly transformed into raged.

"I took off that night, after she fell asleep. I went back to the cabin, figuring Johnny would go back to the scene of the crime. He was there. I did the only thing I thought of at the moment, to keep Lulu and other potential victim's safe. I arrested him. You can imagine the shock he felt when he figured out I was an undercover." Dante chuckled without any humor.

"Oh it got better." He said sarcastically. "Jason Morgan had managed to get arrested that night so he saw me bringing Johnny in. Jason knew I was a cop, so I'm guessing he ran to Sonny. Mac gave me a leave from work so I could stay with Lulu, but I think he was just pissed that I blew my cover. We didn't get enough leverage over Sonny. The cops went that night to arrest him but they were chump charges."

Olivia gasped. Now all the news reports had made sense. And that was how Jason found out. Dante didn't know that Olivia had been at Sonny's when he found out.

Dante looked at his mom, miserable. "Johnny's been held without release because he's a flight risk. Now the trial date has been set…to Friday. This is hard enough for me to go through a second time, it's going to tear Lulu apart. I don't know what to do."

Olivia paused, making sure he was finished. "This is a lot that was put on you, baby. I know you didn't ask for this, but I think Lulu really appreciates all that you are doing for her. You can be by her side through this trial and stand by her, support her. That's all you can do for now." She rubbed is back and she could feel the hitches in his breathing.

"Yeah, I guess you're right Ma." He gave a small smile. "When are you wrong?"

She laughed. "More then you know."

"There is something happier that I could tell you. I'm not sure how you'll react though." Dante said, raising Olivia's suspicions.

"What now?"

"Lulu and I love each other-"

"Please don't tell me your getting married! You proposed to her? Did you get her pregnant?" Olivia barraged him with questions.

"Ma! No. Let me finish." He demanded, "As I was saying. Lulu and I love each other. We have for months. Since she has been living here, and this place is pretty small, we were talking today about getting a place together. I want to surprise her with a place." He said, smiling. "Do you think it's a good idea?"

"Oh baby, I think it's _wonderful._ My baby is growing up." Olivia said, tears in her eyes. "I can tell you love her a lot, Dante. Just don't mess things up." She scolded. She crushed him to her chest in a bear hug.

"Alright Ma." He said, but laughed all the same. He pulled back. "So, what did you have to tell me?"

Olivia paled, she had almost forgotten the reason why she was here. Oh well, she would have to come out with it now. "Dante, you're going to hate me for this."

He raised an eyebrow. "What, Ma?"

She sucked in a deep breath. "I know who your father is." She let the breath out.

"You know who my father is? Well, that's great…" he trailed off as he noticed her face. The news wasn't over yet.

"Your father is Sonny Corinthos."

"Sonny Corinthos… the mob boss. The guy who murders innocent people. He is my father?" Dante exploded. "You knew this all along didn't you?" he accused. "You knew he was my father the whole time. And you never told me! Never even hinted at it. You made it seem like you were the town slut!"

"Dante, watch your mouth! I know you're upset; you have a right to be. I didn't want Sonny to ruin your life. You see what happens to his kids; Michael, Morgan, and Kristina. It's horrible. I didn't want the mob to have anything to do with you. You have to understand that, please!"

"No Ma, I don't understand. I grew up without a father, and finding out that Sonny…Oh my God, Sonny is my father. I almost brought down my father. I still hate Sonny! I want him in prison for what he does to people. Kristina, Morgan, and Michael…they are my siblings. Urgh!" Dante yelled out, frustrated. "I can't handle all this. Ma, you need to leave. Now."

"Dante please, don't shut me out. I want to help-" Olivia pleaded.

"Trust me, you've done enough." He said, and opened the door wide. "Leave."

Olivia walked into the hall, but stood in the doorway. "I can accept that you hate me Dante. I'm sorry for all this. I should have told you sooner. I thought this was best. I already told Sonny. It was the only way to keep you alive. I love you Dante."

"Goodbye Ma." He said, hate in his eyes and he slammed the door in her face.

He stood, staring at the closed door, breathing heavily. He couldn't accept this news. Sonny couldn't be his father. He now had a whole new family that he knew nothing about. This wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that his mother kept this from him.

Dante lay back on the bed again. He wished he could turn back time, back to the time when things were so simple. But that would never happen.

So how is he going to deal with all this?

* * *

There was a rap on the door of Sam's apartment. Sam was still busy with the guests, so Alexis went over to the door and opened it.

She plastered on a smile for whoever it was…until it revealed Jerry Jax perched outside.

She looked back to make sure Sam didn't notice, then slipped out the door and shut it quietly behind her.

"What are you doing here? You can't be here." She said, hating the way her heart skipped a beat whenever she saw him. And he knew it.

"Well, I just came to welcome home Sweet Sam." he said, smirking.

"You weren't invited. How did you even find out about this?" Alexis asked, in a hushed tone.

"I have my sources." He said mysteriously.

Alexis sighed. "You need to get out of here. Sam doesn't need the unnecessary stress."

"You mean you haven't told her yet?" he echoed her sigh. "You will have to eventually you know."

"Yeah, eventually. Not now. Now leave!" she said and opened the door just enough so she could slip inside. She shut the door quickly, leaving Jerry standing alone outside Sam's apartment, chuckling darkly.


	28. Together Forever

_**The Michael in my story is the one played by Chad Duell.  
This is what you all have been waiting for!  
Make sure you comment ;D  
xoxo Janelle **_

"_**Of all the lies I love you was my favorite…"**_

"Who was that Mom?" Sam asked, sliding up to Alexis. She had managed to leave Lucky's side for a few moments, just in time to see her Mom walk out the door, only to return a few minutes later looking grim.

"Oh it was…no one." Alexis said. She didn't think anyone had noticed her exit.

Sam gave her a look but Alexis just shrugged it off.

"The party is ending soon." Alexis said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh." Sam said. "You know you didn't have to do this." She said, even though she didn't want everyone to leave. The thought of staying alone quickened her pace.

"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. I'm so glad you're home." She sighed. "I just wish that Kristina was here to see this. It's so hard not knowing where she is or…or if she's hurt or-" Alexis couldn't finish the thought but Sam knew she meant _dead_.

"Mom." Sam said before she could stop herself. "I.." she was about to tell her why Kristina ran away but then she just couldn't do it. "I wish she was here too." She said quickly.

Alexis gave her a sad smile and then excused herself to talk to someone else.

Sam made her way through the people, looking for Jason. She desperately needed his comfort.

She found him out by the hot tub on the balcony. He was alone, but that didn't much surprise her. Jason needed his alone time.

"Hey." She said, putting a hand on the small of his back.

He didn't turn to look at her, but she could feel the tension in him relax. He stared out at the lit up city of Port Charles, New York. It looked so pretty at night, but one thing was that you could never see the stars. Sam remembered how in Hawaii, at night, all you had to do was look out the window and see the stars. She and Jason had spent evening out under the stars. It was so beautiful in Hawaii.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her.

Startled, she told him, "Hawaii. How you could see the stars. Not like here, all you can see are the lights." He smiled a small smile, still not looking at her. "What are you thinking about?" she had to ask.

Before he could answer, Alexis poked her head through the doorway. "Hey Sam? Everyone's starting to go, you want to say goodbye?"

"Sure Mom." Sam said, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do right now. Her mom smiled at her and then left. Sam walked to the doorway and stopped. "You coming?" she called back to Jason hopefully, without turning around.

He moved so silently she didn't even hear him approach behind her. He nuzzled her neck just as Lucky had done, not too long ago. Only when Jason did it, her knees went weak and she blushed fiercely.

"There's no place I'd rather be." He answered her, kissing her gently on the neck. Then he pulled back, acting like nothing happened and walked into the house. Sam followed him in a stupor.

Sam stood by the front door and was kissed on the cheek and was told "I hope you feel better," more times then she could count, while Jason hovered nearby.

Soon everyone was gone, except for Lucky, Jason, and Alexis. Molly was there, but she was passed out on the couch.

Sam watched as Alexis grabbed her purse. "Going so soon Mom?" she inquired.

"I have to get Molly to bed." She nodded fondly at Molly's sleeping form. "I'm so happy you're awake." Alexis said for the millionth time tonight. She kissed her cheek and then went to gently shake Molly awake.

"Do you want me to carry her to the car, Alexis?" Jason asked, mentally cringing at the image he had of Lucky and Sam.

"That would be great, Jason. She doesn't seem to want to wake up." She chuckled.

Jason went over to the couch and very carefully picked up Molly and cradled her in his arms. She shifted slightly, into his warmth.

Sam's eyes filled up; he looked so much like a father. He would have been a great father. If only she knew where Melissa was with her baby. Well he wouldn't be a baby now. He would be three years old. Jason didn't know about her son. She hadn't told him she was pregnant with his child, since he was involved with Elizabeth at the time. She shook her head, clearing her random thoughts and turned her head to the side so Lucky wouldn't notice her tears.

Jason mouthed, _I'll be right back,_ to Sam when Lucky wasn't looking. She gave him a short head nod.

"Alright, see you guys later." Alexis said, and with one last look she and Jason were gone.

Sam sighed. Now she was alone with Lucky. She didn't want to hurt him, but she just didn't feel the same about him anymore.

"Come here, you." Lucky said, huskily. His mouth was upon hers. She tried to get into the kiss, but Jason's face just kept popping into her mind. "Come home with me tonight." Lucky said in between the kisses.

"No, Lucky, _stop._" Something in her voice made him pull back.

"What's wrong? You've been acting weird around me all day." He said, his eyes narrowing.

"No, it's just…" she searched her brain for an excuse. " I'm just a bit off. I did just recover from my coma. I just want to be home tonight. Alone." She added.

"Whatever." He said, and stormed out the door. She jumped when it slammed shut.

Sam buried her face in her hands. That wasn't supposed to go like that. She steadied her rapid breathing.

A few moments later, there came a soft knock at the door. Remembering Jason's words, she jumped up and rushed to the door.

But what if it wasn't him?

She stood on her tip toes, looking through the hole in the door to see who it was. Smiling, she opened the door.

"Jason." She said, hugging him close.

He hugged her back, stepping forward to close the door. "What happened with Lucky? He was pissed when I saw him in the parking lot."

"Oh." She pulled back from Jason and sat back down on the couch. "He wanted me to go home with him. I told him I just wanted to be alone."

Jason sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. "I'm tearing your life apart. I should go. I don't want to cause you any stress. You will be safer with Lucky anyway." He started to walk through the door.

"Jason." Her tone made him turn around. She held out a hand and even though he knew this wasn't a good idea, he couldn't help but go to her. He sat down next to her, and pulled her close. "I love _you_ not Lucky." She replied, looking him in the eye.

"Why do you do this to me?" he said, trying to control himself, trying to make himself get up and walk away for her own good. But he couldn't do it.

"I'm not doing anything." She replied matter-of-factly. "It's because you love me too." She said simply.

He grabbed her arms on both sides. "We shouldn't be doing this." He said, trying to make her see reason. But when Sam wants something, she gets it. And to be honest, he didn't want to stop either.

She leaned in close to his face. "I don't care." She whispered, her breath reaching his face and he shivered.

He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. These kisses were so different from the ones at the hospital. They were hungrier; they needed each other.

Sam pressed herself closer to him. His warmth filled her body and she couldn't get enough of him. He started kissing his way down her jaw line. When he kissed her neck, she moaned a little. It was such a passionate moment. Nothing would stop them, no one would interrupt. She felt like her body would burst with the love inside her.

She laid a hand on his chest, leading him to lie down on the couch. He pulled her down on top of him.

She slipped her hand under his shirt and felt the hard muscles and the warm skin beneath. She kissed him harder as he wrapped his arms around her.

All of a sudden, Sam got a chill. She felt like someone was watching her. Jason felt her tense up and immediately released his arms from around her, allowing her to sit up.

She glanced around the apartment, but it was dark and she couldn't see anything. She was probably just reacting anyway. But she couldn't get the feeling out of her mind.

"Sam, what's wrong?" Jason asked, worrying creasing his face. He became alert, peering through the dark for the threat that may not even be there.

"I…I feel like there is someone here. Watching me." She said hesitantly. "You must think I'm crazy." She said, letting her head fall forward, her hair shielding her face.

"Sam." he put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "I would never think you're crazy. I believe you." He told her, pushing a stray hair gently away from her face. He put his hands on her cheeks, making her look him in the eye. "I love you, and I will protect you. I promise."

She nodded, kissing his lips lightly.

"Come on." He said suddenly, standing up and taking her hand. He started leading her out the door.

"Wait, where are we going Jason?" Sam asked, grabbing her purse before she was ushered out the door.

He closed the door behind him. "I don't want to leave you here. You'll be safer at my place." He said, gripping her hand.

They walked down the silent hall. Jason glanced over his shoulder, sensing something, but the hallway was vacant.

When they reached the parking garage, he opened the passenger side door for Sam and promptly got in himself. Sam reached over and locked the doors firmly.

* * *

Once the pair had exited the apartment, a figure had stepped out of the shadows. He was hovering by the entrance of the balcony, where Sam and Jason had been moments before the party ended.

He was so close to have grabbing Sam, if only it weren't for Jason's presence.

What was he doing there anyway? He was supposed to be long gone, after the guests. Only Lucky had stayed, and he would have been easy enough to get rid of. But he had stormed off and Jason had swooped in to be the hero. It wasn't like he could kill Jason.

But he would get his hands on Sam, as soon as fate allowed it.

He went out to lean over the balcony, watching as Jason and Sam departed. Little did they know someone was watching their every move. Quite sad, really, how unobservant people were.

"Next time you have a party, you should invite me!" he called out, knowing that they couldn't hear him. He started laughing.

He made his way into the living room and headed to the front door. As a second thought, he reached over and grabbed the key that was hanging by the front door on a little hook.

_Easy access._ He thought and laughed again.

He walked out the front door, calmly shutting the door behind him.

His patience was wearing thin, time was running out.

He better get Sam soon, or it could be hell for all.

* * *

Hours and a lot of work later, Kristina was exhausted, but had a beautiful baby girl held in her arms.

She had decided to name her Abby Samantha Davis. She wanted her middle name to be after her older sister, whom she admired so much. She couldn't wait to go home and tell Sam. if Sam had woken up yet.

That was the worst part, not knowing what was going on in Port Charles. She had left at one of the worst times.

But now was not the time to think about all that, and with baby Abby in her arms, she didn't have too.

When Abby had first been born, all she had done was scream. But after Melissa had cocooned her in a soft blanket, she had quieted down. Thankfully, Melissa had some left over baby things from when Noah was little, including formula. So Abby was well fed, and now lay, gently dozing on Kristina's chest.

Krissy leaned down and kissed Abby's soft, pink head. She had a little fuzz for hair that was a light brown color.

Melissa had been great, supporting her the whole time. Even when Kristina wanted to give up, Melissa had been there, pushing her through. There had been a lot of tears and pain, but now Kristina could see, it was all worth it.

Melissa had taken Noah and put him down for his nap, giving Kristina some time alone with the baby.

Even though it had been a natural birth, she was so tired, and still in pain, so she couldn't really move. But while her baby slept, she didn't really need to.

She didn't want to sleep, so she took this time to examine her little Abby.

She could already see that she had her Dad's nose and ears. But the other traits were all hers. Abby had only opened her eyes once, and they had been a light blue color. Melissa said that all baby's had blue eyes at first, but it would slowly change into their new color.

It was hard, thinking about Keifer. She didn't love him anymore, but this baby, they had created her together. To think that he wanted no part in her life hurt. How could anyone refuse this little sweetheart? Granted, she would have much rather this come in her later years, but some things couldn't be helped.

She sighed, watching as Abby's chest moved with her rapid breathing. She didn't want to think anymore. She closed her eyes, and nodded into a light sleep.

When she heard the door open, she kept her eyes closed, turning her head away from the light. She didn't want to be disturbed, even by Melissa who had helped her so much.

She heard soft footfalls, coming closer to her. "Kristina?" Melissa whispered softly. Kristina didn't open her eyes, still.

Kristina felt the weight of her baby being removed, but she wasn't alarmed; Melissa was probably just putting her in a crib so she wouldn't drop her.

Kristina listened as Melissa talked quietly to the baby.

"Yes, Abby." She said, using that annoying voice that people used when talking to little kids. "You are so adorable. And you're going to be my baby someday soon. How would you like that? Huh?"

Kristina kept her breathing slow, listening intently.

"Yes, just like I took Noah from Krissy's older sister, I'm going to take you. Yes I am." Melissa said, in the same sing-song voice. "Just got to find a way to get rid of your real Mama. How should we do that? Hmm?"

Kristina's eyes shot open wide, looking into the dark. She gulped. _Oh shit, what do I do now?_

* * *

"Bye Maxie." Lulu said, giving Maxie a big hug, inside Kelly's "Thanks for taking me out today. I really needed it."

"Anytime. Seriously, I mean anytime. I have nothing to do now that Spinelli is out of the picture." She smiled, but Lulu could tell that her best friend was still upset. She hugged her tighter.

"I'll stop by the apartment more often." She promised. "Must get pretty lonely without me." She joked.

"Alright go back up to your man, I know it's killing you." Maxie said.

Lulu laughed and gave her one more hug. "Good luck with the whole Spinelli thing." She called as she climbed the stairs.

"Pick up the phone and call me once in a while!" she called back.

Lulu laughed as she reached the hallway. It was nice to spend time with her best friend. It was obvious that they had missed each other. And Maxie really needed someone to talk to.

Lulu reached Dante's door and was about to knock when she remembered that Dante had given her a key. She dug around in her purse and then found it.

She slipped it into the lock and pushed the door open. "Hey babe, I'm back." She said as she came in, dropping her purse by the door. "I had a lot of fun." She smiled and looked up at the bed. "Oh. I'm sorry. I woke you up."

Dante looked up sleepily from the bed. "Hey, I missed you." His hair was ruffled, and he gave her a sleepy smile. It made him look adorable.

"Do you want me to go back downstairs? God knows you could use some sleep. I've kept you up enough." Lulu asked, feeling bad that she woke him up. "I could go talk to Mike, make some extra cash."

"No, no. I'm fine." he said, sitting up. He ran a hand over his face, and Lulu could tell something was bothering him.

"No, your not. What's bothering you?" she asked.

He got off the bed and went up to her. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in the scent of her hair. It calmed him instantly. But he wasn't sure how to tell her what happened. What he now knew.

She pulled back and kissed him on the lips softly. He buried his head in her neck and she stroked his hair softly.

"Hey, are you hungry? You can tell me over dinner okay? Unless you don't want to talk about it." She added, going over to the kitchen. He followed her.

"No, I want to tell you. It's just that, I don't know how. And I don't want you to hate me." He said folding his arms over his chest.

Lulu stopped what she was doing abruptly. "Why would I hate you? What's going on?"

Dante took her hand and led her to the kitchen table. They sat down, facing each other.

"My Ma stopped by today." He began. "And she told me something."

Lulu looked at him expectantly. "Well, what did she tell you?"

He paused. "She told me who my father was. She had known this whole time. And she just decided to tell me now."

"Well that's great!" she said, grabbing his hand. "You know who you father is, Dante! It sucks that she kept it a secret from you but, now you know." She smiled at him. "So, who is it?"

Her smile faded when she saw his grim face.

"My father is Sonny Corinthos, the man I dedicated my life to bring down. That's the reason I haven't been killed yet. I'm Sonny's son."

"I'm so sorry, Dante. I know that's not what you wanted to hear." Lulu said, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"And to make matters worse, I freaked out on my Ma and kicked her out of the house. I was just so angry, you know? I didn't want to believe it."

Lulu stayed quiet, thinking.

"So you're okay with a crime boss being my father? You still love me?" he asked, looking up from the table.

She got up and sat on his lap. "Of course I still love you. That's not even an issue. My feelings aren't going to change because of who your father is. You are nothing like Sonny, no matter what anyone says. It's just his genes that you have, but you are your own person. You lead a totally different life then him. And if you decide you want a relationship with Sonny, then I will support you. I will stand by you, whatever you choose." She said.

"That almost makes everything okay." He told her, smiling at her. He stroked her cheek with his thumb. She leaned forward and kissed him deeply.

"Mmm, I almost forgot." Dante said, between kisses.

Lulu pulled back. "What now?" she asked.

Dante laughed at the tone of her voice. "No, this is something good. At least I would hope you would think so."

Lulu's eyes narrowed.

He took her hand and her gaze softened. "You know how we were talking about a bigger place to live? Well I was jogging by some place and it was for sale, so I looked into it. It's a nice apartment, just a couple of blocks from here. Perfect for two people."

Her eyes lit up, and she stood up, eagerly waiting for him to finish.

"I was wondering if you want to move in there with me." He said, standing up too.

"Oh Dante!" Lulu exclaimed, jumping into his waiting arms. He lifted her up and spun her around in a circle. He kissed her again.

"I'm guessing this means yes." He said, and she kissed him again.

They ignored their parental issues and the upcoming trial. They got lost in each other.

They held each other tight, feeling as if something in their world was finally going right.

* * *

Claudia strode into the Port Charles police department and approached an officer.

"I'm here to see my brother, Johnny Zacchara." She said to the man in blue. He just nodded and led her down the hall to John's jail cell. She had become a regular around here since she visited John two or three times a week. She could find her way to Johnny's cell blindfolded.

When they reached the cell, the cop left her, reminding her that she only had 15 minutes.

She approached the bars of the jail cell, wrapping her hand around it. "John?"

He was lying on the bed, staring up at the slate grey ceiling. When he heard her, he got up off the bed and came to the bars.

He wrapped his hand around hers and she smiled sadly at him. He looked pretty rough; his beard was overgrown and in desperate need of a shave and he looked thinner, his eyes were hollow. This was for being held there for a couple of months. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he got convicted.

"Please tell me you have good news." He pleaded.

"Define good news." She said. "If you mean about you trial, then yes I have good news."

He looked at her. "So I am getting out of here soon?"

"That's the plan." She said. "The trial is on Friday."

"Claudia, I lost track of the days in here. How many days?" he asked crossly.

She glared at him. "Two days."

He sighed, sinking to the floor, his back against the bars. She mirrored his position, so they sat, side by side, back to back, with only the bars separating them.

"Don't worry John; we have the best lawyer Daddy's money can buy. And they don't have much proof. This could go our way. You won't go to Pentonville. You won't end up like Daddy." She said firmly, and it was almost enough to make him believe it. It was almost enough to make herself believe it.

They sat silently for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company, each lost in their own thoughts.

Then Claudia stood up and Johnny followed suit.

"You're going to have to look your best, and right now, well…you need a little work." She smirked.

"Excuse me for staying in a jail cell for months and not being able to look my best." he said snidely, and Claudia frowned.

"You need to work on the attitude, too. You don't want to seem like a rapist. You need to put your best foot forward. So, I will bring you a suit and please promise me you will try to get them to let you shave." Claudia said, hoping all this would work in their favor.

Johnny didn't say anything, only walking back over to his bed and laying down. He looked up at the ceiling with the same blank expression he had before.

"I'm sorry John." She whispered, leaning her forehead against the bars, looking at her broken little brother.

"Time's up!" a guard shouted from down the hall.

"Coming!" she called back, irritated. She turned back to Johnny. "Two days John. Two days and you can come back home."

When he didn't answer, she turned on her heel and left.

The sunlight was warm and comforting when she walked outside the PCPD. It took her eyes a minute to adjust to the bright light. She couldn't help but think about how Johnny hadn't seen the sun for months.

She got into her car and slammed the door, but it didn't make her feel any better. If Johnny hadn't gotten involved with Lulu in the first place, none of this would have happened. She had warned him, but he didn't listen to her.

She turned on the car and rolled down the window. She was about to drive off, when her phone rang, startling her.

She didn't recognize the number but answered it anyway.

"Hello?" she said, tucking the phone against her ear and her shoulder. She put the car in reverse and pulled out of the police department.

"Hey Claudia, its Nicholas."

"Oh, hey." She said, grabbing the phone and holding it there with her hand. "I haven't heard from you in a while." She couldn't help but smile every time she heard his voice.

"Yeah, I know. Anyway I was just calling because I don't think we should see each other anymore." He said, clearing his throat.

"What?" she said, almost dropping the phone.

"Your brother raped by sister. You will always protect your brother, and I will always protect my sister. I don't think we can find some solid ground here." He said.

"But-" she protested. He hadn't made it seem like there was a problem.

"I'm sorry." He said.

"No, it's fine. We aren't really 'together' anyway. We barely see each other. I knew you were avoiding me." She said, feigning nonchalance. Nicholas hadn't made it seem like her brother raping his sister affected their relationship. If you could even call it a relationship.

"I'm sorry." He said again. she could tell he was uncomfortable and wanted to get off the phone.

"Whatever." She said, and then closed the phone shut and whipped it onto the passenger seat.

If she and Nicholas weren't really together, then why did this hurt her so much?

* * *

"Thanks." Patrick said, handing the guy some money.

Robin and Patrick had come home from Sam's welcome home party pretty late. The baby sitter had already put Emma to bed, but they were starving, so they had ordered some Chinese food that had just arrived.

"Finally!" Robin cheered, coming into the living room from checking on Emma. "I'm starving." She said taking the bag from Patrick and setting it on the coffee table. "Thanks babe." Robin said, smiling up at Patrick as she sat down on the couch.

"No problem." He said, kissing her forehead and plopping down beside her. "So, Emma's okay?" he asked.

"Yup, sleeping soundly." She said, tearing open the bag. "You are such a good father."

"You think so?" he asked, modestly, taking a container of lo mien from Robin and opening it.

"I know so." She said, grinning and taking a fork, took a forkful of the Chinese noodles.

They ate in silence for a few minutes.

"So, Sam seems to be recovering well." Robin said, trying to make conversation.

He nodded. "Yeah, she has been improving. I'm glad she's home." He said, setting the container down. "And I am glad to be home with my beautiful wife and child." He said, pulling Robin to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I love you." She said, hugging him.

"Right back at you." He said and smiled. She laughed. He loved the sound of her laugh.

"Maybe we should take the day off work tomorrow." Robin said suggestively, loosening the collar on his shirt.

"You know we can't do that." He said softly, putting his hands on top of hers. They were so huge in comparison. "But it does sound nice."

She frowned, disappointed, but he knew that she understood. After all she was a doctor, too.

"Maybe we should take advantage of our time alone tonight." He said, winking.

She brightened up. "Let's go." she said, taking his hand

He followed her as she rushed up the stairs.

* * *

Michael was walking around, bored. Now that Kristina was gone, things got pretty dull. Playing with Morgan was fun maybe for the first 10 minutes, and babysitting Josslyn was not the highlight of his day. What he really needed was some time with people his own age.

The problem was that the time in his coma took all of his old friends away. They had changed a lot in the past year and had no need to hang out with the deranged kid who woke up from a coma and had a mob boss father. Nobody wanted to let him into their own circle of friends.

He found himself walking down a street, only a couple of blocks away from his house. The heat was brutal out here and he needed something to drink.

He was about to turn around and go home when he spotted a moving truck perched in front of one of the houses at the end of the street.

Curiosity got the better of him and he strolled casually down the street.

As he approached, he noticed the movers were almost done bringing the stuff in. They were hoisting a couch from the back of the moving van. By the looks of it, the family moving in were pretty average. They didn't have fancy furniture, but they didn't have ratty old furniture.

After the couch was inside, he noticed someone sitting on the front steps. It was a girl, who looked roughly about his age. Maybe things were changing after all.

He wanted to talk to her, but didn't want to seem like a creep for approaching out of nowhere. After a few moments of debating, he decided to go say hello.

As he got closer to the steps, he could see her face, but she hadn't noticed him yet. He stopped in his tracks and his heart skipped a beat. She was gorgeous.

As if she could feel his presence, she turned her head toward him. She gave him a curious look and reached up to pull out the headphones to the iPod she was listening to.

"Can I help you?" she asked, with a slight drawl.

"Uh…I…" he stuttered and she frowned slightly.

She had golden blonde hair that fell in rivulets down her back and shined in the sun. She had wide, doe eyes that were a light blue color. Her skin was slightly tan, like an olive skin tone.

He suddenly became aware that he was freaking her out. This was his chance to have a real friend, someone who knew nothing about him or what Port Charles was like. This was his shot, and he was seriously blowing it.

_Say something you idiot, _he commanded himself, and finally he was able to form a comprehendible sentence.

"I'm Michael. I noticed the moving van and just wanted to welcome you and your family to Port Charles." He cringed, realizing how lame that sounded.

It seemed to do the trick. Her feature softened and she smiled. He couldn't help but notice that she had a dimple in one cheek.

"I'm Kathryn, but you can call me Kat. With a K not a C." she added, standing up and holding out a hand to shake.

Michael wiped his sweaty palm on his shorts before he took her hand.

When they were finished, she glanced behind her at the open door of the house. "Come on let's walk a little." She said.

They proceeded to walk up and down the street, asking each other questions.

He found out that her full name was Kathryn Michelle Jennings. She was 17 and moved from a small town in Kentucky, so Port Charles was going to be a change for her. She had a sister named Emma, who had just turned 11. Her mom worked from home and they moved because of her father's job. She didn't speak too much about her parents, but since they just met he didn't press it any further. She was going to school at the same high school he was, so he offered to show her around which she accepted. Her favorite color was purple and she had a dog named Muffin. Muffin was a golden retriever puppy which they got to help Emma with the move, but Kat really took care of her.

He told her about Morgan and Josslyn, how he had just found out her had an older brother, Dante, and how he was almost 18. He told her that his half sister, Kristina had run away a couple months ago but no one knew why. He told her that his Mom and stepfather owned the Metro Court Hotel, and her mouth dropped open, in awe. He told her that his dad real dad was dead but that his adopted father was relatively out of the picture. He told her that he loved dogs, but didn't have one because his Mom was allergic and that his favorite color was red.

They had walked and talked until it got dark, and they started heading back to her house. They had become best friends over the course of an afternoon. They had an instant connection, and Michael was practically glowing at the fact that he had a new friend.

As they got to the house, her shoulders slumped and she grew quiet. He pretended not to notice. He didn't want her to tell her anything she didn't want to. Besides, he was keeping things from her too.

She didn't seem to want to go inside, so he sat on the stoop with her until the door creaked open behind them.

An older man had opened the door and was glaring down at Kat. Michael presumed that it was her father.

"Nice to meet you, sir. I'm-"

"Kathryn get inside. Now." Her father ignored Michael and his tone left no room for argument.

"I'm sorry Michael, I have to go." she said, hurriedly standing up and was almost inside when he spoke.

"It was nice to meet you Kat. You know where I live, we should hang out. See you later."

She smiled sadly over her shoulder at him as her father ushered her inside, none to gently.

Next thing Michael knew, the door was slammed in his face and he was making his way home, under the stars.

He knew that something was up. Once he and Kat became better friends, he would ask her what went on behind that closed door.

He was halfway home when his phone vibrated in his pocket, making him jump. He grabbed at the phone and flipped it open, even though it was an out of area number.

"Hello?"

"Michael. Oh my God, I didn't think you would have picked up!" the person on the other line was speaking in a hushed tone, but he could just barely make out who it was.

"Krissy?" he exclaimed, shocked. "Where the hell are you? Everyone is worried sick. Why the hell did you run away?" he barked questions at her, but he was honestly relieved that she was alive and that he was the first person she contacted.

"Michael, I can't talk long. She's going to come back soon. The main reason I called you is that I need help." Her voice was full of fear and very urgent.

"Where are you? How can I help?" he asked immediately. He would go save his sister, even if he had to drive miles and miles.

"I ran away because I was pregnant, and I ran into this house. There was this girl, Melissa. And she had a son named Noah. I just had the baby this morning, so I can't grab the kids and run. But while I pretended to be asleep, she said she was going to get rid of me and take my baby, just like she did with Noah, who is Sam's son!" she explained in a rush, and Michael barely understood her. "I need help. I don't know what to do, and I'm scared. Please don't tell anyone about this." Michael could hear her voice quivering and he guessed that she was crying.

"I don't know what you want me to do Krissy." He said, scared for her.

She gasped on the other end of the line. "I have to go, she is coming back. Please, promise me you are going to help."

"But-"

"Promise me. Please." She said urgently.

"I promise." He said, and then she was gone.

He ran the rest of the way home, trying to figure out what to do. He also wanted to know why Kristina called him instead of the police. He couldn't do this by himself.

He remembered Kristina asking him not to say anything, but he knew he had to say something to someone. He couldn't save Kristina and two kids by himself. He was not even an adult.

As he sat in his room, staring at the ceiling, searching his brain for the answer, he suddenly knew who to call and ask for help.

He picked up his cell phone and searched in his computer for a number. When he had it, he pushed the send button.

"Hello?" a male voice sounded over the line.

"It's Michael Corinthos. From Port Charles. I don't know if you remember me, but I really need your help."

There was silence. Then, "Of course I remember you. What's wrong?"

"I can't explain over the phone. Will you help?"

He hesitated. "It's not illegal is it? You know I'm a cop…"

"Yeah, I know, that's why I called. It's not illegal. Please, I really didn't know who else to call."

Another beat of quiet. "Alright, I'll help."

"Great, how soon can you get into town?" Michael asked, hoping it would be soon.

"Tomorrow or Friday I guess." He said.

"Alright, please hurry." Michael said. "It's a moment of life or death."

"Hold up, why don't you contact the PCPD, they will know what to do."

"Like I said, it's a long story; I'll tell you when you get here." Michael said.

He sighed. "Alright, I'll start packing now."

"Thank so much, man." Michael said with relief. "This means a lot."

"No problem."

"Oh and, please keep this on the down low, please."

"I figured."

"Thanks again, Cooper."

"Goodnight Michael." Cooper said and hung up.

Michael put down his phone and hopped into bed, thinking about Kristina and about Kat. How did the night go from so carefree to stressing about his sister's life?

* * *

Jason pushed open the door to his apartment, and stood back to allow Sam to enter. He followed her in, shutting and locking his door behind him. He wanted Sam to feel safe.

When she stepped inside, she slipped off her shoes and padded barefoot across the floor over to the couch. She lay down on the couch, her head on one of the small, square pillows.

She smiled at him and he couldn't help but think this was just like old times.

"Can I get you anything?" he asked, setting his keys on the table.

"No thanks. Just come sit with me." She said, sitting up.

He glanced up the stairs. It was late, so if Spinelli was here, he had retired up to his room for the night. It wasn't likely that they would be disturbed. He went and slouched down on the couch next to her. She gently laid her head on his chest, her legs curled up beneath her.

He took her hand and traced small circles on it and she concentrated on his breathing. They both kept thinking back on the way they kissed at Sam's apartment.

She picked her head up and looked him in the eye. He met her gaze.

"I love you." She said.

"I love you too." He said to her, sliding a hand up her back. She loved the way his rough but tender fingers felt on her smooth back.

She leaned forward and kissed him on both cheeks, then his nose, and then his lips. He kissed her back, needing to taste her.

She pulled back only a little. "Make love to me." She whispered, her breath tingling his lips, sending heat flowing down his body.

He didn't even hesitate, just wrapped his arms around her and kissed her with such intensity.

He stood up, dragging her with him, never breaking the kiss. She jumped up and straddled his hips with her legs. He kept kissing her as he carried her up the stairs.

Sam was reminded of the numerous times that they had done that very same thing. It was one of these times that Noah was conceived. She pushed those thoughts out of her head and stayed in the moment.

They tread as quietly as they could past Spinelli's room, and Sam watched Jason's face as he carried her through the dark hallway, trying to stay silent. She giggled at him and kissed his neck. He ran a hand through her hair, keeping the other one firmly against the small of her back, so he wouldn't drop her.

Finally, they were in the security of Jason's bedroom. It had been so long since she had been here. It was so familiar, and she instantly felt more at home then she had at even her own house.

He started kissing her again, heading towards the bed.

He laid her back on the bed and she released her legs from around him. He hovered over her, running his hands up and down her sides, making goosebumps appear. She placed a hand behind his neck and pushed his face to hers. She kissed him, letting her tongue explore the familiar places that she hadn't felt in a long time.

He hooked a finger under the hem of her shirt and tugged it upward. She broke the kiss only for a second, to help him get her shirt off, and then she dove back in for more.

She slipped her hands under his shirt and he leaned back and pulled it off.

She placed her hands on his chest, running them slowly up and down, needing to feel every part of him. She felt his body quiver, and he buried his face in her hair, groaning.

They undressed each other, slowly. They got reacquainted with each other's bodies. He knew exactly where to touch her to make her gasp for air or moan and she knew where to touch him too.

She gasped, as she finally took in the whole sight of him. There was a glow from the moon, shining in from the open blinds. He was just as beautiful as she remembered, even more so. His muscles gleamed, and his blue eyes looked down at her with a look of pure love. He was leaning down over her, and she could feel his whole body taut, with anticipation.

He was just so perfect. _They_ were just so perfect together. It made her wonder how they ever were apart. She had never met someone who knew her so well. Jason knew everything, even things she didn't want him to know, and she knew things about him that he hadn't shared with anyone else. This just felt so right.

Jason looked down at Sam, bathed in the pale moon glow. He had never seen a sight so beautiful, so breathtaking before. She was just as he remembered her. Her skin was golden and her chocolate brown eyes gazed up at him, drinking in the sight of him. Her hair fell in ripples across her shoulders. They had spent too much time apart, and now was the time to be reunited. Finally. Nothing had ever felt so right.

The necklace he had given her hung down between her chest. His eyes traveled down to the bracelet on her wrist. His eyes narrowed, and she paused in stroking his hair and looked down. Together, they took off the bracelet, as if removing Lucky from Sam's life. Jason took the bracelet and threw it down on the floor, where it rolled under the bed, never to be seen again.

They took it slowly, wanting to savor every moment. They made love, and they loved each other even more. It was perfect for both of them. Nobody had given more pleasure to either one of them. It was one of the most amazing nights, and Sam would never forget it.

When they were finished, they lay atop the covers, facing each other. Jason was stroking Sam's hair as she looked at him sleepily. Their limbs were tangled together, skin against skin.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He whispered back, and then he took her face in both his hands and kissed her deeply.

He lay on his back and she placed her head on his chest. He stroked her back and she kissed his chest.

They fell asleep like that, together. Forever.

* * *

Elizabeth had a box of doughnuts in her hand as she boarded the elevator for Jason's apartment. Things had dropped off between them in the past months, and she wanted to see him. She loved him after all.

She reached his door and she knocked. Even though it was ten o'clock, no one answered. Either he was out or he was sleeping.

She reached around and found the spare key in a plant beside the door. With only a little bit of a struggle, she managed to unlock the door, without dropping the doughnuts.

As she came in, she closed the door behind her and saw Spinelli coming in from the kitchen with his computer.

"Hey Spinelli." Elizabeth said brightly, setting the doughnuts down on the table. "Have one if you'd like." She offered.

He took opened the box and started chewing on one, mumbling his thanks.

"So, is Jason here?" she asked.

"I heard him come in last night, and he hasn't gotten up yet, so he is probably in the bedroom." Spinelli said, helpfully, crumbs spilling from his mouth.

She shook her head and smiled, "Thanks."

She turned and climbed up the stairs, finding her way to his bedroom. She'd only been in there a couple of times. Usually they went to her house or the studio.

The door was ajar, so she didn't think to knock. She just pushed it open…

And screamed at the sight before her.

Sam was in _bed_ with Jason, no clothes, nothing, sleeping under the blankets.

Well, not sleeping now, they were jarred awake by her scream. Spinelli appeared by her side, asking what was wrong, but he cut off when he saw the scene in front of him.

Jason could see the rage piling up in Elizabeth, and he tried to say something that would calm her down. "Elizabeth, I…" but he was at a lost.

"I thought you loved me." She said, starting to cry.

"People change." Sam put in.

"What the hell!" she shrieked and ran at the bed, trying to tackle Sam. She wanted to claw her eyes out and rip out her hair.

Jason stepped in between the two fighting girls, placing Sam protectively behind his back.

"Oh sure, protect her!" she yelled, wiping the tears that were streaming down your face.

"Elizabeth, I was going to tell you-" Jason started.

"Going to tell me what? That we are over? Too late, because I'm saying it now, we are through!" she yelled, and turning on her heel stormed out. He heard her slamming down the stairs, with Spinelli going after her. He heard a big slam and then she was gone.

"Sorry about that." Sam said, rubbing his back. It was clear that she was not the least bit sorry. He wasn't either for that matter.

He groaned, leaning back in the pillows, covering his face in his hands. That was not supposed to happen.

He grabbed Sam's hand, and they lay together in silence, each on their own thoughts.

_What did they do now?_


	29. Whodunit?

_**Hey guys, be sure to check out my new Maximum Ride story, called "Completing the Flock," and let me know what you think. Please, please :D **_

_**"You must be blind if you can't see; you'll miss me till the day you die…"**_

Elizabeth stormed out of Jason's apartment, tears leaking from her eyes. She could barely see while she drove off in a huff.

She couldn't get the image of Sam in Jason's bed out of her mind.

She knew something had been going on for months. She was just too in denial to accept it. Now, she was paying for it.

She didn't know where to go, but she didn't want to go home and listen to Cam and Jake fighting and asking her questions about what was wrong.

Jake. Jason's son. She would never get away from Jason. Ever. To be honest, she still loved him. She didn't want them to be over.

But they were, and it was all because of that tramp, Sam McCall.

Her blood boiled when she thought of Jason and Sam together; Sam kissing the lips she kissed, touching the body she had touched. It made her so angry she wanted to scream, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

Suddenly, she stopped. She knew where to go.

She changed directions and sped off in the opposite direction, tires squealing, earning a few beeps from unsuspecting cars.

Her destination: Lucky's house.

* * *

"This was supposed to be a good morning." Sam pouted, nuzzling Jason's neck.

He wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands through her hair.

"I know, I'm sorry." He murmured.

"It's not your fault." Sam scoffed.

When he didn't answer, she pulled back. She sat up and looked into his eyes. "You want to go after her don't you?"

"No." When she didn't look away, he continued. "I really don't I just wish I knew she was safe. She was in no state to drive, and I would be even more worried if it was you out there." He said, attempting to explain.

"That's just the person you are. You care about everyone." Sam said, kissing him on the tip of the nose.

He smiled one of his famous half smiles at her.

She got off the bed and started picking up her stray clothes that had been abandoned last night.

She heard the creak of the bed as he got up. A few seconds later, he was by her side, kissing her.

"Last night was perfect." Sam said, hugging Jason close. "I don't ever want it to leave." She sighed, in complete ecstasy.

"So don't." Jason said simply.

She looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"I love you Sam. I want you to stay here so I know you're safe and so that you're always close by. I want you to stay…if that's what you want." He said, taking her hand and placing it on his face.

"You're not kidding." She said in awe.

"No, I'm not." He chuckled. "I would miss you too much unless you stayed here."

"You don't think we are moving too fast?" she whispered.

He looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?" he could sense that there was something that she wasn't saying.

She pulled away from him and went and stood by the window, looking out, clutching the clothes to her naked chest.

"I'm afraid you will leave me again. I'm afraid that you still have feelings for Elizabeth. I couldn't stand to lose you again." she managed not to shed a tear, but her voice cracked at the end.

Jason took a step closer. "Sam, look at me." He said, and she turned the sunlight shining in her hair.

"I will never leave you again. I don't think I even could. As or Elizabeth, I don't have any feelings left for her, and I haven't for a while. You are the only girl I have ever truly loved."

With that she ran into his arms and planted a kiss on his lips.

"Good answer." She said, lightening the mood. "Hey, I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?" she said suggestively.

"There's no place I'd rather be."

She giggled and took his hand, leading him to the bathroom.

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

"I've got it!" Michael cried, racing past his Mom to the front door.

He was afraid it was Cooper. He didn't want his Mom finding out about any of this. She would definitely freak out.

He had sent a text to Cooper earlier, saying that he would meet him at the Metro Court, so why would he be showing up here?

Michael jerked the door open, his brain already searching for something to tell his Mom.

He was surprised when he opened the door to find Kat there.

"Oh hey." He said, relaxing. He smiled at her.

Upon closer inspection, he could tell her eyes were red rimmed, as if she had been crying and above one of her eyebrows, it was swollen and taking on a blackish color.

He frowned.

"I'll explain later." She said in a hard voice. "May we come in?" she asked.

"We..?" Michael said, confused. He looked down and saw a little girl about Morgan's age tucked under Kat's arm protectively.

"Oh, hi there. You must me Emma." Michael exclaimed, while shooting glances at Kat.

Emma peered around Kat's arm, shyly, and nodded.

"Honey, who's that at the door?" Carly called as she appeared in the foyer.

"Oh? Who this?" she asked when she saw Kat and Emma on the stoop.

"Uh Mom, this is my friend Kat and her little sister Emma. They can come in right?"

"Yes, of course." She said, smiling warmly.

They all made their way to the living room.

"So, I don't believe I've seen you around, are you new in town?" Carly asked.

Inside she was beaming; Michael was finally starting to make new friends.

"Yeah I just moved here with my family. We're only a couple of blocks over." Kat said, brushing her hair behind her ear, absent mindedly.

That's of course when Carly noticed her swollen bruise.

"Oh my God honey, what happened?" exclaimed Carly, jumping up. She approached Kat and Michael could see her flinch. But then she relaxed and let his Mom check her out.

Michael could see now what happened at Kat's house when no one else was there.

He glanced back at Kat.

"I was getting something off a shelf, and something fell on me," She explained lamely, but Carly didn't question it.

"Come on, let's put some ice on that." Carly hustled to the kitchen.

Kat hung back so she could talk to Michael.

"Don't go back home yet. Stay here. I have somewhere to go, but I can get my Mom to let you stay here." Michael whispered.

"He was going to hit Emma. I jumped in the way." She said, not looking at him. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.

She looked at him in surprise but didn't pull away until they reached the kitchen.

Carly was already waiting with a bag of ice wrapped in a paper towel.

She handed it to Kat who thanked her. She pressed it above her tender eyebrow.

Carly was talking to Emma, who was for a change, smiling.

Michael cleared his throat. "Mom, the reason Kat and Emma are here is because…"he hesitated. "Because Emma has a play date with Morgan. They're the same age and are going to go to the same school."

Kat mouthed so Carly wouldn't see. _Quick thinking._

"Oh, that sounds great. I'll go get Morgan. He's upstairs playing video games. You want to go up?"

"Yes please Mrs. Jacks." Emma said politely. "Can I go?" she asked, looking up at her sister.

"Yeah, of course." Kat said.

Carly took Emma's hand and led her up the stairs to go find Morgan.

As soon as she was out of ear shot, Kat collapsed into a chair. "Thanks so much, Michael. This means a lot.

Michael sat in a chair across from her. "It's your Dad, right? He hits you?"

Kat lowered the ice bag from her eye. "He loses his temper a lot. Then he goes after Emma usually. I…intervene. I don't want her hurt." She said, looking up at Michael and meeting his eye. He noticed that her eyes looked more green than blue today. "My Mom doesn't even do anything. I don't get it."

Michael placed a hand on top of hers. "I'm so sorry." He said sympathetically.

They sat quietly for a moment.

"Well, I have to go somewhere. It's really important and I don't want you going back home. You can stay here until I get back. My Mom won't mind. I can tell, s he loves you."

She laughed. "Thanks again."

He shrugged, thinking it was no big deal.

"No, honest. This is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done." she smiled, but the shiner she had was a reminder to why she was here.

He patted her hand and stood up, just as his Mom reentered the kitchen.

"Well Emma and Morgan are bonding like old friends. Thanks for bringing her over."

"Oh, anytime. As long as you'll have us." Kat drawled.

"So where are you from? I love the way you talk." Carly gushed.

Kat blushed. "We just moved here from the south. Kentucky."

"That's nice." Carly said, nodding. "A country girl."

"So Mom." Michael interrupted, clapping his hands together. "I have an errand to run. I don't know when I'll be back, but can Kat and Emma stay till I get back?"

"Sure, you can stay as long as you'd like sweetheart. I can show you Josslyn. You'll love her." She smiled.

"I'd love to meet Josslyn. Thank you Mrs. Jacks."

"You and your sister are so polite." Carly laughed.

"We try." Michael could see that Kat was getting more comfortable around his Mom.

"So, I'll see you guys later." He said, kissing his Mom on the cheek and waving at Kat.

"See you later baby. Call me." Carly reminded him.

As Michael walked out the door, he heard the two of them chatting away, and Morgan and Emma playing upstairs.

When he left the house, he felt the sense of peace vanish,

It was show time.

Time to meet Cooper and save Kristina.

* * *

"Oh Dante, it's beautiful." Lulu said, breathless.

Dante came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

She leaned against him and he put his chin gently on her shoulder.

"You like it?" he asked.

"Like it? I love it." She gushed.

They were standing in the middle of their new apartment.

_**A/N: By new apartment, I mean the one with the elevator that they are living in now. Just clearing that up.**_

Dante had the movers set everything up and he had taken Lulu there to see it when it was finish.

She was amazed that the elevator was the front door. He had laughed at the joy on her face. He loved seeing her happy.

She sighed. "I want to stay like this forever."

He kissed her neck. He pulled away and sat on the couch, holding open his arms.

She went over and curled up on his lap.

"The best thing is we _can_ stay this way forever." He said.

She picked her head up off his chest and looked at him. "Thank you so much for this."

"Come on it was nothing. We deserved this. The place above Kelly's was way too small for the both of us."

"Still, you didn't need me to live with you. You didn't sign up for this." She said, looking away.

"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't care what happened. I wanted to do this. For you. For _us._"

She looked back at him. He stroked her cheek with the pad of her thumb. His thumb was soft against her cheek and she loved the feeling of him touching her. It was so different from Johnny's rough hands grabbing, unwanted, at her.

"Where are you?" he murmured, noticing she was spacing out.

"Nowhere. I'm here with you. There's no place I'd rather be." She said, placing her head back on his chest.

She concentrated on his breathing, and matched hers with his.

He absent mindedly ran a hand through her hair.

"How are you feeling about tomorrow?" he asked, kissing the top of her head. Neither one of them really wanted to talk about it. But it was something they had to do. They needed to be prepared.

She shrugged, but her breathing quickened.

Her trial was tomorrow. She had almost forgotten.

"I'm really nervous. And scared." She admitted. She hadn't seen Johnny since That Night, and she wasn't ready for this. But she had to be strong. For Dante's sake.

She stood up and paced around the living room and the bedroom. They were separated by a little divider. He watched her, wanting her to tell him how he felt.

"You are going to be there right?" she said, stopping abruptly.

The sharp note of panic in her voice had him on his feet, and in an instant he was by her side.

He took her hand and they sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Lulu, I will be there. I will never leave you again." he told her. "Not again." he said quieter, almost like he was saying it more to himself than to her.

She lay back on the bed, feeling the change in Dante's mood. He was feeling guilty again, but she knew it wasn't his fault and she didn't get why he constantly blamed himself. Staring at the ceiling, she said, "Let's not think about any of that tonight. Let's just be together."

She grabbed his arm and he placed himself back next to her. He lay on his side, propping himself up with one arm. He stared at her.

"What are you looking at?" she asked, becoming self conscious.

"You're so beautiful." He said, and he smiled when she blushed. "No really you are."

She leaned forward and kissed him slowly, really exploring and tasting him.

She could feel he was trying to control himself. She wasn't worried; Dante would never force her to do something she didn't want to do.

It wasn't that she didn't want to do it though. It's just that she felt like she couldn't.

"Have I told you I loved you?" she asked, whispering in his ear.

"Probably, but I never get tired of hearing it." He laughed. "I love you too," he said, kissing her again, long and hard.

If she loved him, why wouldn't she just sleep with him? She kept going over it in her mind. She wanted to so much. So she decided to try.

She deepened the kiss and unbuttoned his shirt. She ran her hand up his perfect chest, feeling his rapid breathing.

"Mmm." He groaned, grabbing her hand. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he panted, using all his strength and self control to pull back.

"Yes. Yes. I love you," she said.

"I know you love me. You don't have to do this to prove yourself to me," he said truthfully.

She kissed him again to silence him.

But when he reached to pull off her shirt, she had a flash of Johnny ripping off her shirt.

She yelped and pulled back, jumping off the bed.

She felt her shirt lopsided on her shoulder, but was trembling too hard to fix it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," she said, bringing a hand up to her mouth as she started to sob.

Dante got up and approached her slowly, not sure if she needed to be alone or if she needed him to comfort her. The latter won out.

When he got to her, he fixed her shirt so it hung just right on her shoulder as he held her close.

"You don't have to be sorry. You're not ready. I get that. And I will wait for you. Forever if I have to," he said softly, feeling her warmth against his bare chest.

That only made her cry harder.

He brought her back to the bed and held her close while she cried, her whole body shaking.

He held her the whole time and started humming an old song he remembered his Ma singing to him when he was upset, years ago.

Thinking of his Ma only made his blood boil, but he concentrated on Lulu, humming to her until her breathing slowed and she snored softly. Her breath hitched every so often because she had cried so hard.

When he was sure she was asleep, he too, relaxed into the pillow.

Keeping one of his hands glued to hers, he fell asleep beside the girl he loved, fearing for the trial tomorrow.

* * *

Dr. Steve Webber was walking home from a long day at General Hospital. Being the chief of staff took a lot out of you.

He decided to walk down by the pier for a change of scenery.

He trudged down the wooden with his hands in his pockets.

So lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice at first, someone sitting on the bench until they stirred.

"Olivia? Is that you?" Steve asked the person sitting on the bench.

Olivia sniffled. "Yes," she said miserably.

"Have you been crying?" he asked hesitantly, sitting on the bench beside her.

She sniffled again, wiping at her eyes.

"What happened?" Steve inquired.

"It was awful!" she sobbed. "I went over to Sonny's and he started yelling. He told me we are over. So now I lost my boyfriend and my son because I didn't tell them that they were father and son." Olivia tried to explain, talking very fast.

"I'm sorry. I'm not following," Steve said, shaking his head. He wanted to help, but he was very confused about what was going on.

She looked at him, eyes puffy and mascara running, and somehow she still looked beautiful, he couldn't help but notice.

"Sonny is the father of my son, Dante Falconari, or as you may know him, Dominic Pirelli, the undercover cop who is trying to bring Sonny down. Dante blew his cover by arresting Johnny and I was afraid Sonny was going to kill Dante. So I told Sonny first, then I told Dante. As you can imagine, neither took it well."

"Oh, wow," Steve said, not quite sure what to say. So he went with the obvious. "Sounds like you're in a pretty big mess."

Surprisingly, she laughed. "I think that is a bit of an understatement."

"My advice?" he asked.

She nodded, folding her hands.

"I think Dante will come around and forgive you. You are his mother after all. As for Sonny…well maybe you're better off without him," he said honestly.

"Sure doesn't feel that way now," she complained.

He patted her leg reassuringly. He stood up and held out his hand. "Here, let me escort you home. You shouldn't be out here walking at this time of night alone."

"Oh, a gentleman." She teased, already feeling better.

She accepted his hand and stood up. Letting it go, she wiped her eyes. "I'm probably a mess."

"Quite the contrary." He assured.

He held out his arm for her to take and he walked her home.

* * *

Michael walked into the Metro Court, feigning nonchalance. He needed to avoid Jax, but find Cooper at the same time.

He looked around, but didn't see him sitting in the lobby.

He thought about asking Marty, the desk clerk, but he realized that he didn't know the name Cooper signed in under. Plus he would probably tell Jax.

But he needed a room number.

Just then, the elevator pinged, announcing the doors opening.

Michael looked up and locked eyes with the man he needed to see.

Cooper Barrett.

He was carrying some sort of duffle bag, Michael noticed as he got closer.

"Hey man," Cooper said, holding out a hand for Michael to shake. "You have grown so much." He commented.

Michael shook his hand hurriedly.

"So, do you want to explain what's going on?" Cooper asked, sensing how nervous Michael was.

"I will in the car. Please." He added, when Cooper didn't budge,

Cooper and Michael made their way to the front door and exited.

"No police car?" Michael asked when they opened the doors from a sleek black car.

"Undercover car," he said, ducking into the car.

When they were both in (and Cooper made sure Michael was buckled in), they drove off and Michael explained everything that Kristina had told him.

"Wow." Cooper whistled. "This sounds intense. I'm glad you called me in instead of handling this on your own."

Michael nodded, not feeling very talkative.

"So where are we going? Got any leads?"

Michael's face turned a bright red color. "I forgot to call Spinelli. He would have been able to track the phone call and given me coordinates or an address." Michael banged his hands on the dash.

"Easy," Cooper said, putting a hand on Michael's shoulder to calm him.

"How could I be so stupid?" he exclaimed.

"You said she called you on your cell phone?" Cooper asked thoughtfully.

"Yeah, but it wasn't her cell phone. I didn't even recognize the number. It was luck that I answered it. Why?" Michael asked.

Without taking his eyes off the road, he explained his plan. "We are going to call the number back. The number will still be in your phone's memory. This device right here," Cooper said, tapping a screen, "will tack the phone and give me the coordinates. It will translate it into a GPS route, which will lead us to Kristina."

"Okay," Michael said, glad he didn't screw up too bad. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. It almost slipped out of his sweaty hands. He scrolled through his receiving calls, till he found the number.

"Whatever you do Michael, keep her talking. It takes time to fond the coordinates. I'll give you a sign when we got it."

Michael nodded, taking a deep breath. This rescue thing was a lot harder than he thought.

Cooper noticed Michael's facial expression. "Do you want me to do it?" he asked.

"No, no. I got it," Michael said, knowing he needed to do this. Taking one more calming breath, he pressed send. He placed the phone on his ear and listened to it ring one…two…three times.

Then someone answered.

"Hello?" it was a woman's voice, definitely not Kristina's. in the background, he heard a baby crying and someone calling for their Mom.

"Howdy," Michael said, putting on a Southern accent. It reminded him of Kat.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" the woman on the other line said. Her voice was polite, and he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary, though he wasn't sure what he was searching for. Some clue that Kristina was there perhaps.

"Yes ma'am. I'm looking for…Ann," Michael pulled the name out of nowhere. He hoped the lady didn't notice his pause.

"Ann?" she asked, confused.

"Yes, she was my girlfriend, but she broke up with me last night. I just wanted to talk to her. See if I can make things right." He paused, trying to get his story together. Cooper gave him a thumbs up and mouthed for him to keep going. He sighed dramatically. "I just can't believe we're over."

"I'm sorry, dear, but I think you have the wrong number. There is no Ann at this house."

"It's just really important that I speak to her. Are you her mother? She probably told you she didn't want to talk to me. Are you sure she isn't home?"

"I-"

"Please ma'am, I'm desperate," Michael said, hearing that the woman was growing impatient.

"Listen." The woman's voice had gone hard. "It's late and I have to get my kids to bed. You have the wrong number." She snapped, and just before she hung up, she murmured something like 'dumb hillbilly.' Then the line was disconnected.

"Did you get it?" Michael asked frantically.

"Yes, I think we made it," he replied. "Oh yeah, we got it." He nodded. "You're pretty good at this stuff," Cooper said appreciatively. "You ever think about joining the police force?" Cooper asked while waiting for the machine to do its thing.

Michael shrugged."I haven't given it much thought." Then he remembered some of the details when he was on the phone. "There was a baby and a toddler in the background. I didn't hear Krissy," Michael said, a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we will find her. And that she's safe."

The machine beeped and Cooper sped up, turning on his lights to avoid traffic.

A forty five minute drive later, Michael and Cooper were trekking through the woods. Cooper was leading.

Michael stumbled through a clearing accidently. In front of him was a wood cabin, the windows dark.

"Hey Coop!" Michael whisper yelled.

Cooper made a rustling of some leaves and then joined Michael's side.

"Bingo," Cooper said under his breath. He reached into his hidden belt and pulled out a gun. "Alright, I'm going in. Stay here. I requested back up and they should arrive shortly. Just point them inside."

"No way. I'm going in there to save my sister," Michael said, stepping forward.

Cooper placed a hand on his chest to stop him from passing him. "Do you have a gun that I don't know about?"

Michael shook his head.

"I can't have you in there unprotected. In there, I'm going to be focused on getting those kids out. I can't be worried about you, too."

"You don't have any backup yet. Shouldn't you wait or at least have me in there. I can fight if I have to," Michael pointed out.

"I have to go in right now. Kristina could be in danger."

Michael thought for a moment, aware of the time they were wasting arguing. "Give me an unloaded gun. If worse comes to worst, I can hit someone with it. But it will seem like I really have a gun. I need to be in there," Michael pleaded.

Cooper hesitated, but then decided it was pointless. He grabbed a spare gun that was tucked under his pant leg. He removed the clip and slipped it into his pocket in case he needed it. He tossed the empty gun at Michael. "Stay behind me," was his only warning.

Cooper quietly walked into the clearing and made his way to the house. He stayed out of view of the windows. Michael followed his footsteps exactly.

Everything around this house seemed ten times quieter. It was strange. It only made Michael want to save Kristina more.

Cooper signaled to Michael to stay there and then he went up to the front door. He knocked.

"Hello? Is anyone home?" Cooper called out.

Unsurprisingly, there was no answer. Cooper wondered how the woman inside got tipped off about the police coming, but he would worry about that later.

Cooper tried the knob. It was locked.

Cooper stepped back and kicked at the doorknob. The second time, the door snapped open.

Cooper raised his gun. All the lights were off in the house and it was getting darker outside, so it was difficult to see.

As his eyes adjusted, he kept his gun raised and beckoned to Michael.

Michael copied his stance and when no threat was detected, they stepped inside.

They hardly made any noise as they crossed over the wood floor. There was hardly any evidence that people were living here. They were obviously hiding, if they didn't already escape.

Cooper noticed the dirty dishes piled in the sink. It looked like someone was washing them before he and Michael had interrupted. There was something off about this house, and he had a good feeling that they were still here.

He checked to make sure that Michael was still behind him and then advanced down the hall.

It had to be hard to keep a newborn baby quiet. And why wasn't Kristina calling out? Cooper assumed that she was somehow being threatened. Though there was no evidence of a firearm in the house.

Cooper began opening the doors that led off the hallway. One was a bathroom; another a linen closet filled with towels and other toiletries. After sifting through some of the towels, he found some of them stained pink with blood.

It was the third door that gave them reason to believe Kristina was there. It looked like a spare bedroom. On the floor by the bed was a backpack.

He searched through some of the contents, hoping Michael would recognize some of Kristina's things.

Michael nodded vigorously at one of the tops he recalled Kristina wearing.

Cooper put a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture. They needed to be absolutely silent.

Cooper thoroughly searched the rest of the room, peering under the bed and inside the closet. All turned up empty.

Michael and Cooper went back to the hall. Thankfully, there were two more rooms to look in to.

Michael stayed behind Cooper, just like he told him to, but he really wanted to go busting through those doors, calling Kristina's name.

Cooper opened up one of the last doors. It was on the right side of the hallway and it had the name Noah painted on it in blue.

A little boy's room.

Cooper pushed open the door and inspected it just like he did the guest bedroom. Still nothing turned up.

Their last hope was behind the last door. If they weren't in there, they could be anywhere in the state of New York, possibly heading elsewhere. But backup should have been able to secure the woods. There was still some hope.

He opened the door, which creaked slightly, setting his pulse racing.

It was darker than it had been before. He sensed movement and heard some muffling sounds, kind of muted.

He looked at Michael, who acknowledged that he heard the sounds as well.

Cooper slid his hand over the wall for a light switch. Finding one, he clicked it on.

It was like flipping a switch for movement and noise as well as light.

The closet door flew open and Kristina was holding a newborn baby, who was sleeping. A small child was wrapped around her legs…

And she was being held with a knife pressed into her neck by a woman with crazy red hair.

"Michael!" Kristina cried. It woke up the baby, who started crying. Tears streamed down Kristina's face as well as the little boy's.

Michael did a double take on the boy. It looked like the spitting image of Jason and Sam.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you to put the knife down," Cooper said in a calm voice even though adrenaline was coursing through his veins.

He would have shot already, but he couldn't get a clear shot with Kristina and the newborn in the way, which was exactly the woman's intentions. Whoever she was, she was not stupid and had experience with this sort of thing.

With both Cooper and Michael's gun aimed directly at her, Melissa said calmly, "Nobody moves or I kill her."

"There's no need to hurt anyone ma'am. Just put the knife down and I'm sure we can work something out," Cooper said, his finger itching to pull the trigger.

Just then, the little boy ran forward, gripping on to Michael, letting out a strangled cry. Michael picked him up while keeping his gin aimed on Melissa. Noah wrapped his arms around Michael's neck and Michael could feel him shaking.

"Noah, come back to Mommy!" Melissa cried, and Cooper could see the genuine hurt on her face. The one thing she cared about was her kid. It totally had her unnerved to see her kid go against her.

"Maybe you shouldn't threaten them with knives," Michael snapped, earning a quick glare from Cooper.

"I just want the baby and Noah. I can kill the girl right now. She is expendable," Melissa said.

Cooper could see her fidgeting more and she seemed to be breaking down.

"Just let her go," Cooper said firmly.

While Cooper was talking to Melissa, Kristina welcomed the distraction. She switched Abby's weight to one arm and elbowed Melissa in the jugular.

Melissa grunted, dropping her hold on Kristina and the knife, wrapping her hands around her neck. She gasped, trying to catch her breath.

"Here, Michael, take Abby!" Kristina shrieked, pushing the baby into his arms.

It caused him to drop the gun, because he wasn't able to hold two kids and a gun at the same time.

Cooper had rushed forward, trying to get handcuffs on Melissa before she could recover from the blow.

She straightened up as he approached and fought Cooper off.

She was a good fighter, a lot stronger than she appeared. She landed a few blows on him, and managed to get the gun out of his hand.

It flew out of his hand and skidded to a stop beside Michael's.

They continued fighting, and it seemed like Cooper was going to take her down. Then she reached behind her on the nightstand table and grabbed a glass vase, smashing it over his head.

Cooper slunk to the floor, unconscious.

Melissa got up, her eyes crazy. She started coming for Kristina, broken glass crunching beneath her feet.

"Michael, run! Keep the kids safe," Kristina said, aware that Melissa was getting closer.

"I won't leave you," he said, the baby and Noah screaming in his ear.

"I'll be fine. Just go!" she screamed, pushing him out the bedroom door.

Michael ran down the hall and out the front door with the kids.

Some cops were coming through the trees; the backup Cooper had requested.

"They're inside," he choked out, collapsing on his knees, keeping a firm hold on the kids. "Please, my sister is in there!"

Two officers went inside, heavy guns raised. A couple more helped Michael, leading him out of the woods.

Meanwhile, Melissa had scooped up one of the guns on the floor and was advancing on Kristina.

Kristina would have run, but she wasn't about to leave Cooper. He had risked his life for her and she wasn't going to abandon him.

She knelt by his side, glass piercing her skin. "Cooper, wake up. Please wake up." She shook him, but he didn't move.

Melissa was still coming closer. Kristina gathered some glass in her hands, cutting them even more. She whipped them at Melissa's face.

She howled as the glass came in contact with her face. She threw her hands in front of her face and when she withdrew them, pinpricks of blood littered her face.

Kristina scurried away from Cooper and Melissa, but ended up backing herself into a corner.

"Now you are really dead bitch," Melissa growled, pointing the gun at Kristina's head.

She whimpered, trying to protect herself. She braced herself for the bullet. Right now she really wanted her Mom.

Kristina looked into Melissa's eyes and she realized she had really lost it.

"Goodbye Krissy," she sneered.

She pulled the trigger.

With a gasp, Kristina's world went black.

* * *

Michael heard the gunshot from the outskirts of the woods.

He was trying to fight his way back to the cabin, but he was being held back by cops.

A woman cop had taken the kids and was getting them checked out, but he needed to make sure that Kristina was okay.

A crunch in the woods made him stop struggling. He stayed immobile and silent, listening.

A moment later, two figures parted through the trees.

An officer Michael vaguely recognized but didn't know by name was helping Cooper limp to safety. Cooper was bleeding profusely from the head and he was unsteady on his feet. He seemed to look like he was going to pass out.

Cooper looked up and met eyes with Michael. He looked grim as he was escorted to one of the neighboring ambulances.

Michael shook off the guards and took off after Cooper. Before Cooper could reach the ambulance, Michael stepped in front of him.

"Michael-," Cooper started.

Michael ignored him and snatched the front of his shirt, leaning in close to his face. "Where is she? Huh? Where is my sister you son of a bitch!" he yelled.

Cooper struggled to get away but was too weak. If Michael wasn't so worried about Kristina, he might have actually cared why he was bleeding.

Michael shook him around some more and yelled before he was pulled off by some cops. Cooper couldn't explain anything because he was quickly escorted to the ambulance.

Michael returned to his post. It had been several minutes, and still no sign of Kristina. Michael sank to his knees, putting his face in his hands and wanting to cry. He held it in, feeling he needed to be strong no matter what.

Michael stared at the trees, mentally willing Kristina to walk through them, unharmed. He still felt guilty for leaving her even though she told him to. He had saved the kids, but abandoned his sister. If anything had happened to her, he wasn't sure how he would get on with his life.

One of the police officers came and knelt beside him. He picked up his head and looked at the officer. It was the woman who had taken the kids from him to get them checked out.

"The children are fine. In case you're wondering," The officer said, sitting down beside Michael.

Michael looked at her curiously. She was being overly nice and he didn't know why. She was one of the ones who had witness him badgering Cooper. "I'm glad," he replied shortly.

"You can see them now, but I'm sure you don't want to do anything till you make sure your sister is safe," she said, seeming to understand perfectly.

Michael nodded miserably. "Um, do you know if she is okay?" he asked, not holding out much hope. "I heard a gunshot and she hasn't come out yet."

"No, I'm sorry son, I have no clue what went on in there. You're just a young adult; this has to be such a difficult time for you," she said. She tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder.

Michael gave her a small smile. She kind of reminded him of his Mom.

"I can wait with you if you want," she offered.

"I'm sure you have much better things to do then wait with me," Michael said. "I'll be fine."

"Well, I'll go see if I can find out anything," the lady groaned as she stood up. "Listen, I think she will be fine. She will come through those woods to you, and she will be okay."

As she started to walk away, Michael called out, "Hey! I didn't catch your name."

She turned back to him and smiled, her long braid whipping around. "It's Suzan. And you're?"

"Michael."

"Nice to meet you. Good luck." She walked away, leaving Michael surprised that people could be so nice to strangers.

A noise from the woods captured his attention.

His head whipped around from watching Suzan and he squinted in the dark, hoping to see anything that would lead him to believe Kristina was okay.

Another cop emerged from the woods. This one, Michael didn't recognize. He held someone in his arms.

Immediately, Michael was on his feet and ran to the cop who eyed him suspiciously.

An unconscious Kristina was in his arms. She seemed otherwise unharmed. Only her arms and hands were scratched. She had definitely not been shot.

"Krissy!" Michael called in relief.

Her eyelids flickered and she opened her brown eyes and looked at him. She gave a weak smile. "Michael, hey."

She asked the cop to put her down. He said he would give her a minute, then he was taking her to a paramedic to see if she was okay.

The cop moved away, giving them some private time.

He placed his head on her shoulder and started to cry. "You're okay. I wasn't sure if you were alright. I'm so sorry."

She hugged Michael close. It was a little awkward since he was taller than her and he was resting his head on her shoulder. But she wanted to show him that he had only done what she asked and she was fine. And she told him so.

It took him only a moment to compose himself. "What happened in there?" he asked, wiping his eyes.

"It's a lot to explain and-," she was cut off when two paramedics parted the trees, carrying a stretcher.

On the stretcher was Melissa. Her eyes were wide open but she was clearly dead. Frozen in time. There was a lot of blood. She had been shot in the head.

So that was the shot that Michael had heard.

"Oh god," Kristina said and she turned, retching in the woods.

Michael pulled his eyes away from the body which they were covering with a sheet.

He rubbed Kristina's back. "I think you're in shock, let's get you to an ambulance."

He scooped Kristina up and brought her to the back of one of the ambulances. They covered her in a blanket, assuming she had shock, just as Michael had.

"Michael, I want to see the kids. My baby," she demanded. "Where are they?" she asked worriedly.

"Let the doctor's finish your exam, then I'll take you to see them," Michael promised.

Kristina grudgingly let the paramedics finish their job. Michael could see this whole ordeal had taken a toll on her; she would probably need counseling when they got back. Hell, _he_ might need counseling.

The paramedics disinfected the cuts made by the glass and told her to keep the blanket on her. She may not know it yet, but everything that happened today would hit her like a freight train later, when she had time to think.

Michael helped her down and led her to another ambulance.

Noah saw Kristina approaching and almost took a nose dive off the back of the ambulance. Michael's quick reflexes helped him catch him.

"Krissy!" Noah said, grabbing on to her tight and not letting go.

She picked him up, wrapping him in her blanket also. "Hi Noah. How are you feeling?"

"I'm scared. Where is my Mommy? Is she going to go to jail?" Noah bombarded her with tough questions. She looked at Michael; she was at a loss.

She kissed Noah on the forehead. Michael could see that since becoming pregnant, her mothering skills had prospered. She would make a great mother.

She sat Noah on the edge of the ambulance. He dangled his feet and peered at Kristina with his wide eyes that were exactly like Jason's. Noah trusted Kristina fully, and would believe anything she said. So she had to be careful.

Michael sat down next to Kristina, who was sitting next to Noah. Michael grasped her hand, giving her the strength she needed in order to explain things to Noah.

"Noah, things have gotten really confusing in the past few hours. I know you're confused. I am too. So I'm going to try to tell you what went on. It's up to you to listen like a big boy. Okay?" Kristina tried to find the right words that would make it easier for Noah to comprehend.

Noah nodded, smiling. He was going to be a big boy, just for her.

"Alright. So, you know Melissa? Your Mom?" she took a deep breath. Noah was only four. He shouldn't have to worry about this.

"Yeah. My Mommy was a bad person. She tried to hurt us," Noah told her sadly. He looked up at her, a question in his eyes. "Krissy, why did my Mommy want to hurt us? I thought she loved me."

His face broke her heart. He didn't know anything that had happened, only that the person he had grown up with, his so called mother, had betrayed him. And now he was lost.

"Oh baby, I don't know why she did it. And she did love you…she just had some problems." She sighed. "The thing is she wasn't your real Mommy."

"Huh?" he tilted his head to the side. "Yes she was. You silly goose."

"No. This might be hard for you to understand, but your Mommy was a bad person, who took you away from your real mommy and daddy when you were a baby. That's why you don't remember sweetie."

"I have a Daddy?" he asked. He had grown up without a father figure in his life. At least he was trying to understand.

"Yes, and a real Mommy." Kristina smiled. She could already picture Sam, Jason, and Noah as one big happy family.

"Will Melissa live with me and my Mommy and Daddy?" he asked. It was weird to hear Noah call Melissa anything but Mommy. It was strange how he well he was adapting. Maybe he always sensed that something was off. He lived in the woods for Christ's sake.

"No, Melissa can't live with you. She is…she passed away," Kristina said gently.

"Passed away?"

"You know how she was going to hurt us? Well, she ended up hurting herself more. She is gone now Noah. But she isn't your Mom. Your real Mom is my sister. My older sister. You will love her. I promise," Kristina said.

"Krissy I don't understand," Noah said, looking up at her with tears in his eyes. He was tired and frustrated and confused. At that moment, he looked a lot older than four.

It's okay buddy. We will work things out. I'll help you," she told him.

"And you won't hurt me. Not like my mean Mommy," he said and laid his head in her lap. Soon he was fast asleep, leaving two little wet spots on her jeans from where he had been crying.

Kristina ran her fingers through his hair, feeling helpless. This poor little boy. Her nephew, she just realized.

She looked at Michael. "Can you take him for a minute? I want to go get my daughter."

"Sure thing," he said, letting Noah rest on him. Daughter sounded so weird coming out of Kristina's mouth.

She went in the ambulance and then returned shortly after. Noah had barely even stirred.

"Ready to meet your niece?" Kristina asked Michael, with so much pride in her voice.

Michael nodded, peering around the soft pink blanket to get a better look.

"This is Abby Samantha Davis. Abby, this is your Uncle Michael," Kristina introduced.

"Geez Krissy, she is really beautiful. She looks just like you," he said. "Hi Abby," he cooed, kissing her on the soft forehead.

Kristina giggled, holding her daughter close. In that cabin, she had been scared she would never be able to see her innocent face again.

They looked up when they sensed someone approaching.

"Hi Cooper," Kristina said. "I never got to thank you and Michael for saving our lives," she said, gesturing to Abby and Noah. "So thank you. How are you feeling? I know she got you good with that vase." She shuddered.

"I'm doing better. Just a headache. Kind of like a hangover," he chuckled, not wanting Kristina to feel bad. "I'm glad you are all okay."

"So how come you're here and not like someone form Port Charles?" she asked, confused. "I haven't seen you in years."

"I know, you and Michael are all grown up. But I came because Michael called me. He needed someone who could keep this on the down low. So I guess he thought of me. But I hope you know that I no one can keep this quiet anymore," he pointed out. "Someone died."

"Oh yeah I figured that. But I really just want to go home," she said. "And we can take Noah with us right? I know who his parents are, I don't know if Michael told you." She looked at Michael.

Michael shook his head. "I didn't really get the opportunity."

She looked back at Cooper. "My sister Sam is his mother. Jason is his father."

"Are you sure?" he looked wary. "I thought Sam couldn't have kids. And didn't she and Jason break up a ways back?"

"I'm positive. Sam must have kept it a secret. But please, we need to take Noah. He is scared and confused and he trusts me. I can't just leave him. Please Cooper," she pleaded.

"When we get back to Port Charles, we have to check records to make sure everything is in order. But after that, yeah, he can go to Jason and Sam," he said.

Kristina sighed in relief. She didn't realize it until now but she was exhausted. Abby had fallen asleep in her arms. She failed to stifle a yawn.

"I think we should head home now," Michael said, yawning too.

"We need Kristina's statement, but then I'll drive you guys home. Michael, we can take yours, too. I already gave mine," he added.

Michael carefully moved Noah, and carried him, still sleeping over to an officer to give his statement. He was finished before Kristina, who could give more detail. He waited over by Cooper's car, shivering a little. It got a lot colder at night. He wrapped his arms protectively around Noah to keep him warm. Noah shifted slightly, but stayed asleep, lying on Michael's chest.

Kristina finished up and came over, holding Abby who was starting to fuss. She bounced her gently. "We ready to go?" she asked, looking around for Cooper.

"Yup, let's go," Cooper said, coming around from behind her. He went in the driver side.

Michael let Kristina get in first and buckled in Noah. He woke up for a minute, but fell asleep on Kristina. Michael helped Kristina get buckled.

"Wait!" Kristina said, before Cooper could back up. "Is there any way we could get something back from the house?"

Cooper braked and twisted around to look at her. "It depends on what it is. Why?" he asked her.

"I wanted to grab something for Noah. Something familiar, like some of his toys or something. Maybe it will make him feel better. He has a blanket, too."

Cooper hesitated. "I'll go talk to someone."

Kristina thanked him and watched as he talked to a fellow cop. He waited out there while someone went inside and took a couple of things from the house. They returned it in a bag. Cooper took it and returned to the car.

He tossed it into the back seat and started the car.

"Thanks Coop," she smiled, thinking that Noah would be a lot happier with the things from the house.

Kristina must have dozed off, listening to Michael and Cooper chat quietly in the front seat. Next thing she knew, they were pulling up at her house. Her house that she hadn't seen in months. Her Mom and little sister were in that house.

She fiddled with the seat belt, trying to get it undone. Cooper noticed her excitement and turned around.

"You ready to finally go home?" he asked her.

She nodded, knowing that was the truth.

* * *

"Lucky, Lucky! Open up!" Elizabeth yelled, pounding on the door. It was chilly out on the doorstep and she needed to talk to Lucky. She was sure that he wouldn't be too happy about her discovery either.

"Lucky!"

The door slowly pried its way open. Lucky was there, bed head hair and squinty, sleepy eyes. "Elizabeth? What is it?" He sounded peeved. They hadn't really spoken to each other since she had started dating Jason, but this was important. She wouldn't be knocking on his door at this hour for no good reason. Then again, she had just waked him up from a good sleep.

"Can I come in?" she asked, out of breath from pounding and screaming on the door.

He reluctantly stepped back and let her in. He closed the door behind her and then went to sit on the couch.

He threw his arm over his eyes. "Well get on with it," he yawned.

"You might want to pay attention. Since this has to do with your precious girlfriend," she snapped. Her hands started shaking as soon as she thought of Sam.

"Sam? What does she have to do with you visiting my house at night?" he asked, looking at her. He was too tired at first to notice that her eyes were red rimmed, and she was till crying and seething with anger. He sat up. "Okay, what the hell is going on?"

Her shoulders shook as she held in sobs. Lucky didn't move to comfort her, as he so would have in the past. Before she cheated on him with Jason.

He waited, steadily becoming impatient.

She sniffled and wiped her nose. "You probably won't even believe me," she said.

"Just tell me," he said gruffly, feeling that this was going to be bad. He had his suspicions already.

Elizabeth took a deep breath. "I went over to Jason's house today and I found Jason and Sam in bed together. They cheated on us." She started sobbing again.

Lucky was numb. For some reason, it didn't surprise him as much as it should have. Elizabeth had cheated on him, so why not Sam. But did it really have to be with that stupid mobster, Jason?

He could see she was waiting for some sort of reaction. He stood up, banging his hand on the table fiercely. "Why does everyone do that to me?"

"Lucky, I'm so sorry," Elizabeth cried.

"No, you're only sorry because Jason cheated on you. You wouldn't have told me if it didn't involve him," he said, turning on her. He was upset and she was there, so he was yelling at her. It wasn't right. He wasn't exactly mad at her, but he couldn't stop himself from attacking her.

"Please Lucky, we are both hurt. This wasn't fair to either of us," she tried to reach out to him, but he pulled away.

"Don't touch me," he sneered. "Get out."

She just looked at him in shock. "What?"

"Get. Out!" he yelled.

She stood up, giving him one last look and ran through the door, slamming it behind her. She felt so utterly alone. She thought Lucky might understand, but he had just freaked on her too. What the hell was wrong with people?

Lucky didn't know what to do, but he felt horrible about blowing up on Elizabeth like that. He left the drink he was pouring to go watch Elizabeth to make sure she got into her car okay.

"Elizabeth!" he called out. "Come back, I'm sorry!"

Either she didn't hear him or was ignoring him because she didn't turn around. She just climbed into her car and sped off recklessly.

He sighed, going back inside. He was hurt too. She didn't seem to understand that. He went back over to the table and took his beer. He was an alcoholic, so he knew this wasn't the smartest thing. But he downed it anyway.

He went back up to his bedroom. He sat there in the dark, stressed and worried. He wasn't sure what to do.

He would need to talk to Sam tomorrow.

He tried to go to sleep, but he tossed and turned all night. So much for a good night's sleep.

Elizabeth was crying, hard. She was going too fast on a winding road. There were barely any streetlights, and it was really dark out.

She had hoped Lucky would react differently, and help her through this. She tried to be a good person and tell him what was going on, but was she really doing it for selfish reasons?

She honestly didn't know. She just knew that she was betrayed and it was too much for her. She was spiraling out of control.

Her tires squealed left and right as she navigated her way down the deserted road.

She closed her eyes for a minute, but when she did, she saw Sam all over Jason, in bed.

She opened her eyes and screamed at the top of her lungs. She banged on the wheel, even hitting the horn. She must have looked like a psycho.

While she was having her meltdown, her wheel jerked, unnoticed to the right. She didn't even realize she hit something until the loud thump sounded, and her whole car vibrated.

Her foot immediately stomped on the brake. The back end of the car spun out and she ended up halfway in a ditch. Her head had swung forward and she had hit it on the steering wheel.

She managed to stay conscious and tried not to freak out as she realized her predicament. She gasped but she got the door open and fell down on her hands and knees onto the side of the road. She had never been so happy to be alive.

She recalled the reason why she had braked and she got up, brushing her scratched hands on her pants. She went searching for the thing she hit. She could barely see in the dark, but she saw an outline of something laying on the side of the road.

Figuring it was an animal she crept closer.

Soon, she saw what it was and she ran closer, whispering, "Oh my God."

It was a person. She had hit a person.

"Are you okay? I'm going to call the police," she said, frantically. Searching around for her cell phone. She was dismayed to find that it was still in the car.

"No, I'm okay," the person wheezed. It sounded like a man.

"I'm so sorry. Can you get up?" she said, her nurse instincts taking over.

"I think so." Together, they helped him sit up.

"Man, I'm so sorry. Are you sure you're okay?" she fussed.

"Never better." The man said, and he chuckled. She could see the bright white teeth of his smile.

It was the last thing she saw. She gasped.

Next thing she knew, he had attacked her. She put up a good fight, but he overpowered her. She was weak and emotional, something that he wasn't.

He kneeled on her abdomen to keep her from crying out, not that anyone would hear her. He pulled a rope out of his pocket and began tying it around her neck. When it was tight, he pulled, loving the way her eyes popped out as her airway was cut off. Then, just as she was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, he would let it go, allowing her to suck in air, gasping for air, like a fish would out of water. He knew that the air flooding in now would burn her windpipe and not feel too good, but that was the point. Then, he would tighten the rope again.

He tortured her like that for a few more minutes, and then just permanently tied it, efficiently cutting off her air. He needed to work quickly; he wanted her to see what he was going to do before she passed out.

He pulled a small knife out of his pocket and lifted his knee off her. He straddled her, keeping her arms immobile so she wouldn't untie his work. He lifted up her shirt, exposing just enough so that her creamy white skin of her stomach was exposed.

The knife went closer and he began to stab her.

Her lips were blue, and her mouth opened wide. If she could have breathed, she would have let out a bloodcurdling scream. That took the last of her energy and he watched the light fade from her eyes.

She was gone; Elizabeth Webber was dead.

He finished the rest of what he was doing to her stomach and stood up. He wiped the blood off of the knife on her pants. He didn't bother untying the rope. He was wearing gloves and they would never find out who he was. Not until he wanted them too.

He stuffed the gun into his pocket and traipsed back to his car. Sitting inside there, he looked at Elizabeth.

He couldn't help but laugh. His plan was finally getting somewhere.

He drove away in a considerably good mood.

* * *

Just as he left, someone drove on the road behind him.

The person who drove in behind the killer, spotted Elizabeth's car in the ditch and he pulled over.

He knelt over the body. He fell to his knees, covering himself in her blood…

Just as the police showed up.

_**So? Who do you think the murderer of poor Elizabeth is? Comment with your answer.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you haven't read my updated profile, you should go take a look at it. :D **_

_**Next chapter will be up ASAP. Review! Thanks for reading! **_

_**Xoxo Janelle **_


	30. Framed

_**Thank you my readers for the lovely comments. I enjoy reading them.  
Sorry if the Liz murder was too much; it had a point I promise.**_

_**In case any of you didn't know, I have a new story up called, "Her Guardian Angel." It's really for all you Lante fans out there. But if you have nothing better to do, go check it out. **_

* * *

"_**Thou dost protest too much…"**_

Kristina got out of the police car and stared up at her house in awe. She hadn't seen it in months.

She hadn't seen her Mother or Molly in months either.

She stood there, holding Abby, unable to move, but needing to see her family. She was so clouded with emotions, she had no idea what to do.

"Here let me take her," Michael offered. "Let your Mom see you first. You're not sure how she's going to react. I'll bring Abby in after," Michael said reasonably.

Kristina wordlessly handed over Abby to Michael, trusting him to keep her safe.

Cooper came around the car, leading a sleepy eyed Noah toward them. He rubbed his eyes and squinted, looking like he just wanted to go back to sleep again.

"Wait for me Kristina, I'll bring you in and explain things to your Mom if you'd like," Cooper said.

Kristina cleared her throat. "Yeah, that would be nice. I might need some help explaining things."

Cooper led them all up to the porch. After he made sure that Michael was okay with Noah and Abby, he joined Kristina at the front door.

"You ready?" he asked for the second time that night.

She hesitated a little, nervous about how her Mom was going to react to everything. But even if she kicked her out, she needed to see her mother's face one last time. She nodded and Copper knocked on the door; two short raps.

It took a few minutes for someone to answer the door.

"Can I help you?" a bleary eyed Alexis opened the door, wrapped in a thin satin robe.

She first noticed Cooper on the stoop and then saw Kristina by his side. The look of pure amazement crossed her features, and a beat later, Kristina was clutched in her mother's embrace.

They were both crying and holding on to one another.

"My baby, I thought I would never see you again!" sobbed Alexis, not daring to loosen her grip on her daughter.

"I know Mom, I'm sorry. I missed you so much," Kristina said, burying her head in her Mom's shoulder. She inhaled her scent, having missed it for so long.

All the noise had awakened Molly. She came barreling down the stairs. Upon seeing Kristina, she shrieked and the three Davis members joined in an emotional group hug.

Cooper waited by the open front door, waiting for things to calm down so he could explain what happened. He had a small smile on his face as he watched the reunion. Happy moments like this never got old. He kept a wary eye out on Michael and the kids, lest someone come up the porch and take them. This family had so much going on already; they didn't need any more excitement.

Cooper gave them a little more time. They would have all night when he was gone, but he needed to head out soon. He cleared his throat to get their attention.

All of them were a mess, looking up at him with joyous expressions.

"Cooper Barrett, what are you doing here? In Port Charles I mean," Alexis said. "We haven't seen you around in years."

"It's kind of a long story," Cooper said. He looked pointedly at Kristina.

"Mom, I have someone I want you to meet," Kristina said hesitantly and Cooper gestured for Michael to come in.

Alexis gasped when she saw the two children being escorted in by Michael. Her first glance was the little boy hovering behind Michael.

"Oh my God," she whispered. "He looks just like Sam and…Jason?" There was questioning in her voice.

"Yes, that's Noah," Kristina said. She moved over to Michael and gingerly took the sleeping Abby out of Michael's arms. "This little girl is the reason I ran away." Kristina was still ashamed at what she had done, but she would never be ashamed of her little girl. She meant too much to her.

Molly's mouth was hanging open and Alexis stared at Kristina in shock. "She's yours?" she finally managed to ask.

"Yes. She's my daughter, your granddaughter, and your niece Molly. Her name is Abby Samantha Davis." Cooper could tell that Kristina was trembling inside; anticipating the reaction Alexis was going to have. But on the outside, she held her head up high, being strong after everything she had been through.

There was a long pause. Finally…

"Can I hold her?" Alexis asked, bursting into a fresh round of tears.

With that, Kristina knew that she and Abby would be accepted. Her Mom would not kick her out, and she would be supportive. Even though her mom didn't know the specifics, it could all be figured out.

Kristina passed Abby to her Mom. Kristina looked back at Michael and Cooper while Alexis and Molly gushed over the new addition to the family.

Cooper gained their attention once more. He launched into the whole story, how Kristina had called Michael who had called Cooper and how they had saved Kristina and the kids from a mad woman. He skipped over the gruesome details of what happened in the cabin, but told them that they were safe because he had shot her. He explained all he knew about Noah, about who his parents were. He needed some help, which Kristina gratefully provided.

Mostly, Alexis sat in a stunned silence. She had gone from having a missing daughter to finding her along with two grandchildren. It was a lot for anyone to bear. But Alexis took it in stride.

"This is wonderful," she said, looking down at the baby in her arms. She looked back up at Michael and Cooper. "Thank you guys so much for bringing them all home safe. I could never repay you."

"All in the name of the law ma'am," Cooper said, refusing to take credit for doing his job.

Kristina grabbed Noah's hand and went to sit on the couch with her Mom and Molly. "Can Noah stay here for the night?" she asked Cooper.

Cooper hesitated. It was true that they couldn't do anything for Noah until the next morning. They needed to confirm birth certificates and legal records and it would be a long process. Only after all of that was completed, then he could go to Sam and Jason, provided he really was theirs. Until the paper work was complete, they would have to put Noah with a foster family. And why uproot him when he would be perfectly comfortable here? He had already been through so much…

"Alright, he can stay," Cooper finally agreed.

"Thank you," Kristina said with one last grateful look. Then she returned to celebrating with her family.

"C'mon Michael, let's go," Cooper said, leading Michael out. He shut the door behind him.

"So are _you _ready to go home?" Cooper asked as they reentered the car. The engine growled as they pulled out.

"You know, that sounds really great," Michael said and Cooper laughed.

* * *

Michael turned his spare key in the lock, opening the door as quietly as possible.

Not that it did any use; Carly jumped on him the moment he stepped inside and shut the door firmly behind him.

"Michael where were you? I was worried sick!" Carly whisper yelled, pulling him into a hug. It was late and she didn't want to wake anyone up by screaming.

"Mom, I'm fine. And I sent you a text saying I was okay just a little while ago," Michael said, trying to break free of his mother's grip.

Michael had declined Cooper's offer to come in and talk to his Mom about what went on. Now he was thinking it would probably be a good idea. Too late now.

Carly had let him go, giving him some space to breathe, but was still looking at him expectantly.

"Well?"

"Well what Mom?" he asked wearily. He hadn't noticed until right this second, but he was exhausted.

"Are you going to tell me where you were?" she demanded, giving him the no nonsense voice that he hated.

"I'll explain everything in the morning Mom, I'm really tired. Honestly, you won't believe it," he told her. He knew that would make her wonder even more and he resolved to keep his mouth shut.

Just as he was about to head upstairs, he whirled around, a thought coming to mind. "Oh my God, Kat and Emma, what happened to them?" he asked his mother.

The note of panic in his voice made Carly scrunch up her face in confusion. "They're still here," she said slowly. "They're sleeping on the couches in the living room, so be quiet when you go upstairs," she added.

They both made their way into the living room. Michael flipped on a lamp on low, bathing the room in a dim light. He wanted to make sure with his own eyes that Kat and Emma were okay.

"You know what's weird?" Carly pondered out loud as Michael assessed the two of them. She noticed the kind look that he gave Kat and smirked, but didn't say anything. "Her parents didn't even call to see where they were. She kept saying that it was fine and that she wanted to wait till you got back, no matter how late. I didn't really think anything of it, but it seems really weird now."

"It's cool Mom," he reassured her. Even in the dim light, he could still make out the bump and bruise on Kat's face. It made him so relieved that his Mom didn't question things too much and sent them home.

He didn't know what he was going to do to protect them in the morning; they were going to eventually have to go home. But that was a problem better to be thought about after a good night's sleep.

Michael yawned and went over to kiss his Mom on the cheek. "Night Mom."

"Night, I love you," she said giving him a quick hug.

He rolled his eyes, but smiled to show that he was joking. "I love you, too. See you in the morning." He trudged upstairs.

She smiled as she watched him go. She looked down at the two girls sleeping on her couch. There was something off, but she wasn't going to push. Not yet.

_Kat is a perfect love interest for Michael, _she thought. But she promised herself she wouldn't meddle…much.

She chuckled as she turned off the light and went up stairs to her own bed, next to her wonderful husband.

Neither Michael nor Carly had noticed that Kat had been awake during their encounter.

And that she had tears streaming down her cheeks as she dreamt about what a wonderful family that she and Emma could have. What a caring mother, like Carly, that they deserved.

* * *

Lulu awoke the next morning to the smell of eggs and bacon.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She looked around and spotted Dante working hard in the kitchen.

"That for me?" she asked, her voice still thick with sleep.

"Who else?" he teased, and she smiled.

"What's the occasion?" she asked as she took a seat at the dark wood kitchen table. She had slept well and seemed to have forgotten about last night.

"Well, I thought you could use the extra energy for the trial today," he said, scooping the last of the eggs onto two plates and bringing them over to the table. He placed one plate in front of Lulu and sat down, digging into his.

She sat there, staring down at the plate.

"I don't think they're that bad," Dante said defensively, talking with his mouth full.

She laughed when she saw some of the egg stuck to his face. She leaned forward and ate what was left on his face and then kissed him. "Mmm, they're delicious. But you really didn't have to go through all this trouble for me," she said sitting back and picking up her fork.

"No trouble at all," he said, finished with his whole plate before she had even taken a bite. He carried his plate to the sink and dropped it in. "So, you seem in a good mood considering," he said hesitantly, not wanting to dampen her spirits.

She took a moment to swallow. "I'm still extremely nervous and I don't know what to do. But knowing that you'll be by my side makes it a lot better," she admitted. She carried over her half empty plate to the sink as well.

He was about to protest that she eat more since they were going to have a long day ahead of them, but he was grateful that she was eating at all.

He sat down on the couch. "I think you're still taking this better than expected. It might be worse when you actually get to the court," he warned. "This isn't going to be easy."

"Yeah I know," she said, coming to sit next to him. She sighed and dropped the act. "I honestly don't know if I can do this Dante. I have never been the key point to a trial before. What if I freeze up there and don't know what to do? I could screw everything up…" she was beginning to babble.

He noticed her apprehension growing and he grabbed her hand. "You will do fine. All you have to do is relax and answer the questions they ask you honestly."

"You make it sound so easy," she scoffed.

"Not at all," he said honestly. "It's going to be difficult. But if you feel yourself starting to lose it, look into the crowd and focus on me. I'll help you through this I swear to you."

She looked into his eyes and felt a semi calm flood through her. She could do this. As long as he was there to help.

He stood up. "Alright, we need to get a move on. The trial starts soon. I'm going to hop in the shower. Care to join me?" he asked, lightening the mood.

She slapped him playfully. "In your dreams, Officer."

He winked at her then went into the bathroom, closing the door. She heard the shower running.

She took a couple of deep breaths and then stood up. She went over to the dresser and opened some drawers, searching for something suitable to wear.

She was already dressed and ready to go by the time Dante came out, his lower half wrapped in a towel. She couldn't help but stare at his exposed chest.

"You approve?" he asked, noticing her staring.

"Yes, of course," she purred, coming closer. She placed her hands on his chest, similar to how she did last night. She waited for the memories of That Night to come rushing into her head, ruining the moment, but surprisingly, it didn't happen.

He noticed that she wasn't being plagued by the same memories as she was last night. He drew her closer, crushing his lips to hers. They pulled back after the stunning kiss, looking at each other.

They both noticed something different in that moment. There was such heat and passion that just spread through them. But they couldn't afford to be romantic right now. Not until after the trial had passed.

So, Dante struggled to put his emotions in check and held back again. He stepped back to admire Lulu.

"Did I tell you, you look absolutely beautiful?" he said, turning up the charm so she wouldn't be upset.

She shrugged. "Hurry up and get dressed so we can go and get this over with," she said. Now that the heat between her and Dante was gone, the fear came back.

She crossed her arms and waited as Dante put on a dress shirt, pants and shoes. He looked pretty handsome. If only she weren't so upset, she could appreciate it better.

"Alright," he said, grabbing the car keys. "Let's head out."

He held out his arm for her to take and she held on as they descended the elevator.

* * *

"Can I get a beer please?" Cooper asked Coleman's back. Coleman was turned around sorting through the drinks in the back of the bar.

Cooper had unsuccessfully tried to sleep last night. He had been way too keyed up. Even though he knew Michael, Kristina and the kids were safe; he still tossed and turned all night. The image of Melissa's body falling on the floor after he shot her kept replaying in his mind. As a cop, he should have been used to it, but the truth was that shooting people is _never_ easy.

So as a last minute attempt to calm down, he went to Jake's the next morning, craving a beer.

Coleman turned around to hand Cooper a beer and stopped in his tracks. "Man, Cooper is that you?" Coleman exclaimed in surprise. "When the hell did you get back into town? Nice to see you brother."

"Heh, long story. Thanks," he said, taking the beer and going over to an empty pool table. Placing the beer on the side of the pool table, he picked up a stick and shot around for a little bit.

He looked up as a blonde beauty made her way to the bar in a hurry.

"Coleman, a shot please," she said, out of breath from running errands from Kate. Since Lulu was at the trial, she had been running rampant trying to get everything done.

"Anything for a pretty lady," Coleman said, slamming a glass down in front of her and pouring it with a thick liquid.

She chugged it down, wincing as it burned her throat. "Thanks a lot," she said, reaching into her purse to pull out a five dollar bill to pay for the drink.

She sensed someone approaching behind her but thought nothing of it until the person said, "Just put it on my tab."

Maxie froze, her purse dropping to the ground as she placed the voice. She whirled around coming face to face with Cooper Barrett's smiling face.

Her jaw dropped, causing him to chuckle.

"Happy to see me?" he teased.

Maxie reached her hand back and slapped him across the face. It was his turn to look shocked.

"Wha-," Cooper was cut off from his protest when Maxie crushed her lips to his in a hot kiss. She pressed up against him, and once he recovered from his initial shock, then he kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her to bring her even closer.

"Rooms are upstairs," Coleman shared, and Maxie grabbed her purse and they went up the stairs.

Cooper shut the door behind them and Maxie jumped up, straddling his waist with her legs. She kept her lips firmly glued to his.

"How…could you…just leave without telling me?" she asked between kisses.

"I thought it was the right thing to do," he whispered into her ear, pushing her down on the bed.

"Yeah, I'm sure you did you big-,"

"Shh, no more talking," he told her.

_What a hell of a distraction,_ he couldn't help but think.

* * *

"Claire Walsh, federal prosecutor," a brusque woman held out her hand for Lulu to shake.

Lulu's first impression of Claire Walsh was that she was a beautiful, strong, independent woman and she was somewhat envious. She was also thankful because if anyone could help through this case, it was Ms. Walsh.

Lulu shook her hand and wasn't surprised to find that she had a very firm handshake. "Nice to meet you Ms. Walsh."

"So, we need to go over all the evidence so I know the best way to get this piece of scum behind bars," Claire said. She looked pointedly at Dante, who was clutching Lulu's hand, refusing to leave her side. "In private," she added.

"No, I want Dante there," Lulu protested.

Claire turned to Dante. "Detective, you know how things work. I need to question her without anyone present. She is our key witness, and I need to get everything I can in order to win this case."

Dante did, indeed, know that. "I'll be right outside when you're done," he said. He leaned in close to whisper, "Make me proud."

She gave him a nervous smile and then followed Claire Walsh into the questioning room.

Lulu tried to pay attention to the questions she was being asked by her lawyer, but they were all questions that she had answered before. She gave the same answers she had told the police. She really didn't see how any of that was helpful.

When they were finished, Claire opened the door, thanking her for her time. "So, I'll see you in the courtroom in 10 minutes."

"Sure thing," Lulu answered.

Claire walked away, her heels clicking menacingly on the floor.

Lulu looked away and looked around the room for Dante. She didn't see him so she sat in one of the metal chairs that were against the wall in the hallway to wait for him.

She crossed her legs and jiggled her foot. She was getting impatient and nervous and she just wanted the trial to be over.

She heard footsteps coming back. They sounded a lot like Claire's and Lulu wondered what more she wanted. She stood up and was shocked when she saw Claudia Zacchara round the corner.

"Lulu, just the person I was looking for," Claudia said, forcing a smile.

"Ho-How'd you get back here? You're not supposed to be back here." Lulu didn't know why Claudia was making her so nervous. She tried to put on a brave front. "I thought you'd be with Johnny," she sneered.

Claudia held back her look of hate. Even though her brother was on trial, she could see the change in Lulu. But she needed to do this for Johnny. Lulu would understand.

"I just left him actually. And I really needed to see you, _before_ the trial starts," Claudia said, keeping her voice neutral.

Lulu didn't like the look that Claudia was giving her. "Yeah, well I'm going to find Dante and I'll just go in the courtroom," Lulu said, starting to walk away.

"Wait," Claudia said, grabbing Lulu's arm. Lulu jerked her arm away, but stopped walking.

"What?" Lulu snapped. Claudia could tell she was getting impatient, but that she would listen to what she was going to say. Claudia took a deep breath; she only had one shot at this.

"Lulu, I know what my brother did to you was wrong and very, very horrible. But he loves you and that's why he did it. I know he loves you. He realizes what he did was bad but he doesn't want to go to jail for it. I don't want him to go to jail either. He's my brother and I love him. Think about what you would do if it's was your brother. Please Lulu, please help me out here. Lie on the stand; tell them that it wasn't really Johnny. _Please._"

Lulu just stared at Claudia who was looking at her with pleading eyes. "What do you want me to do Claudia?" she sighed. "He hurt me, and it's like you don't know that. He changed me forever just because he couldn't keep it in his pants!" her voice had risen and they were getting a couple of other lawyers looking at them. "I don't want him; I _didn't _want him that night either. I want him to pay!"

Security guards were alerted by her yelling as well as Dante. Claudia was already gone by the time Dante hurriedly rounded the corner.

Lulu could still hear Claudia's words as she had been dragged away…_Don't let him take the fall for this. He didn't mean it. Please, save him. Only you can do it!_ There had been such pleading in her voice and it had really gone through her.

She felt Dante's arms around her. "Are you okay?" he was saying. "What happened?"

She placed her head on his chest and he stroked her hair. She didn't answer him, not trusting herself to speak.

They stayed that way until Claire Walsh made herself present again.

"Time to go," she said. "Are you ready Ms. Spencer?"

Lulu untangled herself from Dante. "Let's just get this over with." She sighed.

Dante, Claire and Lulu made their way into the courtroom to seal Johnny's fate.

* * *

Olivia got up off the couch when she heard a knock at her door.

She opened the door, still half asleep.

"Morning," said Steve's cheerful voice.

"Oh Steve, hi!" she said, tightening her robe around her. "What are you doing here? I would think you would be at the hospital, saving lives," she teased.

"Oh, I'm going in later. Just thought I would check on you. Besides, I brought breakfast," he said, holding up a bag of breakfast food from Kelly's.

"Thanks, that means a lot," she said, not sure if she meant the checking on her or the breakfast. She was still kind of surprised that he had even thought of her twice since last night.

"So…Can I come in?" he asked, feeling awkward just standing outside her apartment door.

"Yeah, of course! Sorry, I'm a little out of it in case you couldn't tell," she said. She stepped back to let him in and he placed the bag of food on the coffee table.

"So how are you doing?" he asked her.

She sighed, and joined him, sitting on the couch. "I'm doing okay. I took the day off from work and I planned on spending some serious time with my two new favorite guys, Ben and Jerry."

Steve chuckled at her reference. "You're strong; I know you'll get through this."

She smiled warmly at him.

There was a moment of silence that border lined on awkward. "Well, I guess I'll get going then," Steve said reluctantly. "Wouldn't want to keep you from your date with ice cream,' he winked at her.

As he stood up, Olivia grabbed his arm. "Why don't you stay and have breakfast with me?" she asked, trying not to feel too hopeful.

He didn't even hesitate. He just sat back down and ripped open the bag. "Hope you like pancakes," he said.

She laughed as they started to eat.

* * *

Kristina came down the stairs, wearing her own pajamas, walking down the stairs and hallways that she was familiar with.

Even though she was half dead from staying awake with Abby all night, Kristina appreciated that she was home safe.

As far as she knew, everyone was still sleeping, so she was surprised when she went downstairs to find Alexis sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hi Mom," Kristina said, plopping on the couch beside her and cuddling up close to her. She had missed her Mom so much and promised herself not to run away ever again.

"Hi sweetie, did you get any rest?" Alexis asked, wrapping her free arm around her daughter. Alexis had been up taking shifts with Abby so that Kristina could at least get a little rest.

"Eh, kind of," she answered. She go to sleep right now if it weren't for the fact that Abby would probably wake up in a few more minutes and need to eat.

"It's so good to have you back," Alexis said, kissing the top of Kristina's head. She placed her cup of coffee down on the table.

"It's good to be back. Trust me I'm never going to do anything like that again," Kristina promised.

"I just wish I was there." Kristina looked up at her, confused. "When you gave birth. It must have been scary and I just wish I had been there," Alexis explained. "There really was no need for you to run away."

"I know, it was a stupid decision, and I'm really sorry Mom," she said. "And it was scary. And painful."

Alexis chuckled. "If I can remember clearly, that about sums it up."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence. There was so much that they could talk about, but no one wanted to ruin the moment.

Finally, Kristina dared a question. "Did Sam…wake up from the coma?" She gulped. The last time she had seen her sister was when she talked to her in the hospital, but she had still been in the coma then and probably didn't know what had happened.

"Yes! Sam woke up not too long after you left. It was terrible, to get one daughter back only to lose another. But now I have you both," Alexis said, squeezing her closer.

"That's good that she woke up, I can't wait to see her. Does she know I'm back?" Kristina asked, wanting to tell Sam that she had picked Abby's middle name after her sister.

"It was too late to call last night, but you can call her in a little bit if you want. Sound good?"

"Sounds great." Kristina smiled again. Kristina thought for another moment. "Did you know Sam was pregnant with Noah? Because I didn't. I have no clue who else knew, but I don't think she told anyone."

"No, I didn't know she was pregnant with Noah. I didn't think she could ever get pregnant in the first place. Jason probably didn't know either," Alexis said thoughtfully.

"Why do you say that?" Kristina asked.

"Well, if Jason knew he had a son that was taken, then you would think that he would use all his mob resources to get him back. Which begs the question, why didn't Sam tell anyone?" Alexis was startled by this discovery.

"I don't know, but today we will get everything sorted out. Cooper will stop by eventually and help us sort things out with Noah," Kristina said.

"He is a perfect combination of Jason and Sam. It's so strange. He is beautiful though," Alexis said, still stuck on the Noah thing. She was honestly a little hurt by the fact that Sam didn't trust her enough to tell her any of what was happening. Even though she and Sam weren't as close as she was to Kristina or Molly, a pregnancy was a difficult thing to hide.

"Yeah he is. Just like Abby will be beautiful when she grows up," Kristina said with a dreamy look on her face as she imagined her future with Abby.

"It's going to be harder than you think," Alexis warned, guessing her thoughts. "Taking care of a baby is a lot of work."

"Yeah I know, but I love her and I wouldn't change a thing. Not even who the father is," Kristina grumbled the last part, but her Mom's sharp hearing picked up on it.

"The father? Who is the father Kristina? Is he the real reason you ran away?" Alexis asked her a million questions at once.

"Easy, Mom. The father is…" she took a deep breath. "Kiefer. He basically only used me for sex, even though I wasn't ready. In a way I guess you could say he forced me. When I said I wasn't ready, he got upset and he sometimes...he sometimes hit me," Kristina looked at the floor, not sure she wanted to face her Mom's reaction.

Alexis's face was screwed up in horror and sorrow…and guilt. "Baby, I'm so sorry I didn't even see it going on. You should have talked to me! I could have helped!"

"I know Mom, but I was embarrassed. I didn't know all about birth control, so I wasn't on that either, and that's probably the reason why I got pregnant. I told Keifer when I found out I was pregnant, but he wanted me to get an abortion or give it up for adoption, and I was sick of what he told me to do. So I wanted to keep Abby. And I wasn't sure how you'd react. I mean, we are supposed to be perfect daughters, and when we can't…" Kristina trailed off.

She looked at her Mom and discovered that they were both crying. She took her mother's hand. "I'm just really sorry Mom."

"So am I sweetie, so am I," Alexis gripped Kristina's hand. She made a decision then that she was not going to expect too much from her kids if this is what led them to do what they did. She needed to be an even bigger part in their lives and know exactly what was going on.

"This is going to be an emotional week, huh?" Kristina asked and Alexis laughed.

"Yeah I guess so, look at us!" Alexis said, wiping at the makeup under her eyes. Kristina laughed.

They sat together until they heard Abby crying through the baby monitor.

"Be back," Kristina said as she climbed the stairs wearily.

Alexis watched her go, thinking about how much older her teenage daughter seemed. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

* * *

"The honorable Judge Carroll presiding. Please be seated."

"Thank you," Judge Carroll said. "The defendant, Johnny Zacchara, is being charged with rape of a young woman, the plaintiff, Lesley Lu Spencer. Bring him in."

Lulu was sitting beside Dante when she heard the Judge ask for Johnny to be brought into the courtroom. She began to sweat and shake. She had Dante's hand in a death grip, causing him to look over at her. He softly whispered words of encouragement and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb.

She wasn't ready to see him yet. It had been months since she had even heard his name. She couldn't do this. But she had to. Dante had given up his cover to protect her. She couldn't let him down.

Still, she wanted to close her eyes and run out of the courtroom when Johnny entered.

He was wearing the usual prison garment, having been locked up for months until the trial was scheduled. They had cleaned him up as best as they could, but he was still messy looking. His beard had grown out, and his hair was bushier. He had a creepy look about him that made Lulu's blood run cold.

His eyes squinted against the bright light in the courtroom, but then he looked around at his audience.

He scanned the crowd as the guards led him slowly to his seat, to the right of the judge. Once he found who he was looking for, he locked eyes with Lulu.

Dante followed Johnny's gaze and his body tensed. He glared at Johnny who smirked.

Lulu's mind filled with the images of That Night. Her breath came in gasps. All she could see was him on her, forcing her to do things that she didn't want to; all she could hear was Claudia's voice telling her that she was the only one who could stop this.

"I can't do this," Lulu whispered, starting to stand up.

Dante gently stopped her. "It's okay," he told her looking into her eyes. "He can't hurt you anymore."

"No, you don't understand…" she trailed off as the Judge started talking again. But she never let go of Dante's hand.

"Will the Counsel approach the bench?" the Judge said.

Claire Walsh went up to the judge, followed by Johnny's lawyer. Lulu didn't recognize the lawyer, but it was most definitely paid for with all the mob money. The two lawyers conversed with Judge Carroll with a whispered conversation.

Dante glanced around at the jury. It was no one he recognized, which was probably a good thing. All they needed was to convince that jury what horrible things had happened to Lulu. It wouldn't be that hard, it really was terrible.

The two lawyers returned to their respective tables. Lulu should have been sitting next to Claire, but with a little prodding from Dante, she was granted to sit in the first row, right behind the plaintiff table, next to Dante.

Without him there, she probably would have run already.

"Ms. Walsh, call your first witness," Judge Carroll boomed.

"Yes your Honor. The prosecution calls Detective Dante Falconari to the stand," Claire said.

Dante pried his fingers from Lulu's grasp and made his way up to the stand. Placing his right hand on the Bible, the bailiff swore him in.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I swear," Dante said and took his seat.

Sitting up there, he had a clear view of Johnny. It took all his power not to just kill him now. He was a cop and needed to get justice the right way.

He turned back to Claire as she started to ask her first question.

"Please state your name for the record," she said.

He leaned forward and spoke clearly into the mike. "Detective Dante Falconari."

"Thank you," Claire said. "Now, can you please explain your view of what happened on the night of…" she glanced at her notes. "On the night of March 2nd?"

"Sure," he cleared his throat and began. He remembered to look at the jury a few times to be sure that they understood how awful it was. He wanted their sympathy, but he really wanted them to understand.

"On the night of March 2nd, I was at my apartment above Kelly's. I had picked up some food, waiting for Lulu to come by because we had plans. She was supposed to be at work with Maxie Jones, at the Crimson office," he said, trying to be as specific as possible. "I got a suspicious call on my cell phone, coming from Lulu's caller ID."

"Can you explain why it was suspicious, Detective?" Claire said, interrupting.

"Um," he shifted, trying to remember exactly what had made it so strange. "It was silent at first, but then I heard the word help and a thud. It sounded like the person was very far away from the phone. I thought maybe that Lulu had dropped it somewhere and that it was a bunch of teenagers."

"Alright, please continue with your story."

"After I received the phone call, I got a strange feeling, so I decided to call Maxie, only to find out that Lulu had not shown up for work. It got me really worried, so I rushed out of the apartment, and over to Damian Spinelli's apartment that he shares with Jason Morgan. He helped me trace the call. Turns out it was from the park by the Metro Court. I guessed that she was grabbed and dragged into the woods-,"

"Objection, hearsay!" exclaimed the defendants lawyer.

"Overruled, I'll allow it," Judge Carroll said, "But watch your words Detective."

"Yes, sorry your Honor," Dante said. "I found Lulu's cell phone on the ground, confirming my suspicions. I ran through the woods, my fear mounting as I realized my worst nightmare was coming true-,"

"Objection, argumentative!"

"Sustained. Watch it Detective, keep your feelings in check," the Judge said.

"Yes your Honor. In the woods, I became faced with a cabin. At the time I had no idea it was owned by the Zacchara's. I just broke down the door, having a feeling Lulu was in there. It was dark, and the window was open. But Lulu was on the bed."

"That is quite a story. Could you explain what Lulu looked like when you found her Detective Falconari?" Claire asked gently.

"She was bruised, bloody, and her clothes were ripped and were all over the floor. I went over to her and she was crying on the bed, she couldn't even sit up. She passed out right in my arms," he choked off at the end and he looked down as his emotions became too overcoming.

Claire held in a smile. Dante was doing great. She looked over at the jury. Some of them were really affected by this, some were even holding in tears. Claire looked back at Dante. The worst thing was, he wasn't even faking his feelings to get the jury's vote.

"What did you do after that?" Claire asked quietly.

Dante cleared his throat and looked up after he composed himself. "I brought her back to the apartment. Looking back, it wasn't the smartest thing, but I was scared and I didn't know what to do. We were there for a only a few minutes before she regained consciousness. I wanted to take her to the hospital and call the police, but she refused. So I called the hospital and asked for Dr. Scorpio."

"Robin Scorpio?" Claire asked, confirming it on her witness list.

"That's correct," Dante said.

"Any particular reason for calling her specifically?"

"I knew she would keep the secret and that she was a good doctor and friend of Lulu's," Dante said. Looking back, it just seemed like the right thing to do. He didn't really think about it.

"Detective, when did you find out that it was Johnny Zacchara that had raped Lulu?"

"I'm not sure the exact date. Only a few days after. Lulu had been staying at my place, and she was doing pretty bad, not eating, depressed. I was with her and asked her who it was. She told me it was him, that disgusting pig. I want him locked up for the rest of his life!" Dante lost control and started yelling.

"Objection! Objection!" the lawyer screamed, but Dante didn't stop.

"Order, order in my courtroom!" Judge Carroll bellowed.

The courtroom grudgingly fell silent.

"Ms. Walsh, keep control of your witness. Scratch Detective Falconari's outburst from the record. The jury will not base their decision on that outburst. Are you finished with the witness?" the Judge demanded of Claire.

"Only one more question your Honor. Detective, what are your feelings about Ms. Spencer?"

"Objection, relevance," the lawyer called out wearily.

"I promise I have a point," Claire said.

"Then make it Ms. Walsh," Judge Carroll said firmly. "Answer the question Detective."

"I love her," Dante said, meeting Lulu's eyes in the courtroom.

"So this explains why you gave up your undercover position to arrest Mr. Zacchara, correct?"

"Yes, I would do anything to protect her," Dante reiterated.

"No further questions," Claire said, returning to her seat.

"Would the defendant like to cross examine this witness?" Judge Carroll asked.

"Yes you Honor." The defense lawyer stood up. "Detective, you said that you love Lulu and that you would do anything to protect her?"

"Yes," Dante said, confused.

"If that is true, then why didn't you take her to the hospital when you found her, or call the police? Why did you hide her from everyone, therefore having no proof that this act that you accuse my client of is true?" the lawyer demanded sharply.

"Objection!" Claire was yelling.

"I…I…" Dante stuttered.

"No further questions," the lawyer returned to her seat.

"You may step down Detective Falconari," the judge said.

Dante returned to his seat, ready to go home already. He joined Lulu and breathed in her scent to calm him down. It was going good up until the end…

Lulu tuned out when they called other witnesses; Robin and Maxie.

Then they called her up.

"I call Lesley Lu Spencer to the stand," Claire said.

"That's you babe," Dante said, giving her a gentle push.

She stood up on shaky legs and made her way to the stand. It was super quiet in the courtroom as she approached. She could hear some whispers as she was sworn in and she took her seat.

"Hi," Claire said, giving her a small smile. She was trying to make her seem less nervous. "Can you state your name for the record?"

"Lesley Lu Spencer," Lulu said in a wavering voice. Her gaze kept flicking back to Johnny. She had a clear view of him up here and she didn't like it. He had a smirk on his face, as if he were reliving that night too. It made her uncomfortable, like he was undressing her with his eyes.

Claire followed her line of sight and noticed Lulu's discomfort. She wanted to make this fast, but this was her key witness. Claire already knew everything that had happened to Lulu that night of March 2nd, Lulu had explained it to her in great, gruesome detail. Lulu could get Johnny locked up on her testimony alone.

"Lulu," Claire said, calling her attention back to her. "What happened to you on the night of March 2nd?"

Lulu explained her story, leaving out Johnny's name. She kept her eyes on Dante the whole time, feeding of his belief that she could do this. Even though Claudia's voice filled her brain, even though gross images filled her mind, she got through her story, leaving out anything that would tie it to Johnny.

Both Dante and Claire were looking at her confused.

"Do you know who it was that did this to you?" Claire asked, frowning. Lulu had done so much better in the interrogation room. Perhaps she was just nervous.

_Only you can stop this, only you can stop this…_

Lulu looked away from Dante when she gave Claire her answer. "No."

"No what?" Claire asked with an edge to her voice.

"No, I don't know who raped me," Lulu said.

"So you are saying you have no clue who did this to you? You're saying that Detective Falconari was lying when he said that you told him that it was Mr. Zacchara who did this to you?"

"I was confused, I might have said things I didn't mean," Lulu said, refusing to meet anyone's eyes.

"So it means nothing to you that you are under oath and are lying to protect a piece of scum?" Claire said, getting frustrated.

"Objection. Your Honor, she is badgering her own witness."

"Yes Ms. Walsh. She has answered your questions, carry on please," Judge Carroll said, but he was peering at Lulu curiously.

"No further questions," Claire said in a tight voice, storming back to her seat. She glared at Dante questioningly.

"Would you like to cross examine this witness?" the judge asked.

"No, thank you your Honor."

"I have decided, without the help of the jury, that there is not enough evidence. The PCPD may open the investigation again if they wish, but there is not enough evidence to convict Mr. Zacchara. As of now, he is found innocent and shall be let free. Court is adjourned," Judge Carroll banged his gavel and left.

The courtroom was a flurry of activity. Claire was arguing with people, and the jury was confused. In fact everyone was confused.

Lulu jumped off the stand and ran out the door. Dante got up and followed her quickly.

"Lulu!" he called out. He found her in a corner, away from everyone, hugging herself and breathing deeply. Surprisingly she wasn't crying. "Lulu, what happened out there? Why did you lie?" he asked quietly, so no one else could here.

"Dante, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell them, but I just froze. I'm sorry you blew your cover for nothing," she hugged him. "Can you ever forgive me?"

He paused for a second, still confused, but then he hugged her back. "Of course I can," he said. But he wasn't stupid; he knew something happened that she wasn't telling him about. "Claire Walsh on the other hand, is on a rampage."

"Everyone must hate me," she sighed into his chest.

"How could anyone do that?" He smiled down at her. He stared into her eyes, trying to find out what she was hiding, but she was keeping her face straight. "Come on, let's go home," he said.

She took a step back, keeping her hand in his. "That sounds so good right now."

"I hope you know that now that Johnny is still on the streets, I won't let you go anywhere alone again," he told her. "I wanted this so you would be safe."

"I know you want to protect me. And if you won't let me go anywhere alone, well that's my own fault," Lulu said. Truthfully, she wished Johnny was behind bars and she felt guilty, but her feelings were mixed. She didn't think that Johnny would do this again. But it still scared her. She didn't mind if Dante kept close tabs on her, it only meant that he loved her and that she would be protected.

Dante nodded, satisfied with her answer. He drove her home, planning on finding out what had happened. Now, he would need to take care of Johnny himself.

* * *

Jerry Jax kneeled down beside Elizabeth's body, instantly becoming covered in her blood. He peered down at her stomach. It was bleeding, but the scratch marks spelled out some words. _Time is up._

Jerry looked up and saw Elizabeth's car hanging half off the cliff. He saw the cord wrapped around her neck. He untied it, hoping that she wasn't dead, that she was still breathing. But it was too late.

_Time is up, time is up. Who did this and what does it mean? _Jerry thought to himself.

He stood up, just as the police cars zoomed in, illuminating him in their headlights.

They jumped out of their cars, holding up guns to him. "Don't move!" someone yelled at him.

He looked down and saw he was covered with her blood, the cord that she had been strangled with dangled from his fingers.

He put his hands up on his head. "I know how this looks, but I swear-,"

"Shut up, don't move," Lucky Spencer said, coming forward with cuffs. He jammed Jerry's hands behind his back and clipped the cuffs on him forcefully. "We were called here for a murder, and you're covered with blood, holding the cord, you don't see how this is highly suspicious?" Lucky snapped at him.

Lucky read him his rights, and Jerry knew he was screwed.

"This is the second body you dumped, huh?" Lucky said, watching as the other police officers taped off the area. "First was the intern from GH, now who is it?"

Jerry said nothing. Lucky scoffed and walked around Jerry, making sure he stayed put. He looked down at the body.

His face twisted in horror, and a strangled cry came from his mouth. "Liz," he breathed. He looked down at her mutilated stomach, her blue mouth. He fought his nausea.

Lucky whipped around back to Jerry. "What did you do, huh? Drive her off a cliff, and then kill her? Cut open her stomach and strangle her. What is wrong with you! What does, time is up, mean Jerry?"

Jerry stayed silent as Lucky screamed in his face.

Lucky got even more pissed. He ran at Jerry, punching him square in the face. Jerry's nose started spewing blood, and his top lip was cut open.

Some neighboring cops came to the rescue, but after they saw the body, they allowed Lucky a few more good hits until they pulled him off of Jerry.

They separated the two, putting Jerry into the back of a police car. Lucky was kept off to the side.

Forensics was all over the scene, gathering evidence.

When no one was looking, Lucky stepped closer to the car, hoping to find something there. Fortunately he did, but it left him more confused than ever.

A combination of letter and numbers were scratched into the side of the car.

_CO77X._

What did it mean? Lucky had no clue.

He was pushed aside as the forensics team gathered more evidence from the car.

There was something off. Lucky searched his brain and recalled that at the first murder, the combination CO77X was also on the dumpster. No one had paid attention, thinking it was some graffiti writing. Now Lucky knew that it definitely connected the murders.

Once Mac figured out that Elizabeth had been murdered, he would take Lucky off the case; conflict of interest.

Lucky couldn't give this up. There was one specific person who was being targeted by the killer, and he didn't think the killer was Jerry, even though all the evidence pointed to him. More people were going to die if they didn't stop him.

But no one would believe him.

No one but maybe…Dante Falconari.

He and Dante work well together, and maybe he would help him work on this secretly, to save the true target of these mystery murders.

Lucky swore that he would find the true murder of poor Elizabeth, even if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

Sam was quietly watching TV at Jason's apartment.

Jason came out of the kitchen, just as the news cut in with breaking news.

He came and sat by Sam, giving her a kiss, which she returned. She curled up next to him and listened to the news.

_Breaking news…Another body has been found. We don't know the name of the victim yet, just that it was a young woman, between the ages of 20 and 30. We don't know the details yet, but we know that a man named Jerry Jax was found at the scene and was arrested. Rumor has it that the murder of Claire Martin was connected to this one. Why would someone do something so horrible? More at 11. _

They showed the scene, cops all over the place, the area taped off and forensics were gathering evidence. They showed a car, dangling halfway off the cliff.

"Jerry Jax was trying to kill me?" Sam asked in a squeaky voice. "It was Jerry? But why would he want to kill me?" Sam stood up and began to pace nervously. Sam knew from the time she heard that Claire Martin was killed, that whoever murdered her was her killer. Now, finding out it was Jerry was a shock to her system. She never would have guessed.

Jason grabbed her arm and pulled her into his lap. He looked her in the eye. "Sam, if Jerry was your killer, then he is going to be behind bars for the rest of his life. You're going to be safe. I promise."

Jason could see the tears shining in her eyes, as she tried to be strong.

He kissed the top of her head.

"I just don't understand what he would gain by trying to kill me," Sam sighed.

"I don't know, but I promise, I will find out. And I won't let anyone hurt you again, I promise," Jason said, taking her hand.

They relaxed and watched the rest of the news report.

When they showed a close up of the car, Jason jumped up, causing Sam to fall on the floor.

"Damn Jason, what the hell?" she snapped, rubbing her arm.

"Shit, sorry," he apologized, helping her up. He stared back at the screen, willing the car on the TV to change.

"What's the matter?" she asked curiously, watching him look at the screen.

"I know whose car that is."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Elizabeth's."

* * *

Minutes later, Sam and Jason arrived at the scene. Jason had begged Sam to stay home, claiming that it was dangerous, but she refused, blatantly telling him that she wasn't leaving him.

Sam looked around for a familiar face and found Lucky. She pulled Jason towards him. With all that was happening, she forgot that she was supposed to be with Lucky, not Jason, but she remembered too late.

Lucky glared as they came closer. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Sam figured he already knew. "Elizabeth told you?" she whispered, looking down. Jason stepped closer to her, getting antsy. He was shifting his weight around from one foot to the other, looking around. Sam realized this wasn't the proper place to discuss relationship problems.

"Yeah, she told me. And now she's dead!" he yelled at her.

Jason and Sam both froze at his statement.

"Oh my God, Lucky. I'm so sorry. We didn't know. We just saw the news and decided to come here…" she stepped forward, instinctively trying to comfort him.

He jerked away. "Don't touch me you lying slut."

He spoke the words quietly, but it echoed in her head. It felt like he had slapped her. She had actually had feelings for Lucky, and she wasn't a slut. She was just attracted to the wrong person.

Jason was instantly there, placing a hand on her lower back. "Don't talk to her like that." he growled. He had been shocked by the news of Elizabeth's death. He felt like it was his fault, how he didn't go after her this morning. But he didn't like seeing Sam broken or being accused of something. He was practically looking for a fight. "This is just as much my fault as it is hers. She didn't do anything," he said, stepping closer.

Sam, sensing the confrontation brewing, placed a hand on Jason's chest to stop him. She could feel the guilt rolling off him in waves.

She turned back to Lucky who was sneering at them. "I still don't understand why you guys are here," he said. He decided to lose the attitude. This wasn't the time or place. They could talk about it some other time, but Lucky knew it was a futile effort. He and Sam were done. No way could he compete with Jason.

Sam didn't know how to explain, so Jason took over.

"We know who the killer is after," he told Lucky.

Lucky looked at them with wide eyes. "Who?" he practically yelled. "The police need to know so they can keep them safe."

Sam looked pointedly down at Sam.

"You've got to be kidding." Lucky said, running a hand through his hair.

"So just because she cheated on you, she's suddenly not worth protecting!" Jason yelled.

"Jason, please," Sam said softly, and Jason quieted, but still glared at Lucky.

"You don't think Jerry is the killer," Sam said to Lucky. She didn't say it as a question, but as a fact.

Lucky didn't say anything for a moment, but then he nodded. "I think it's someone else. Codes and mysteries notes don't seem like Jerry's style."

"I didn't think it was him either. But I know he is after me." Sam explained to Lucky that it wasn't an accident that she had ended up in a coma.

"I can't really do anything. They are going to take me off the case because of conflict of interest." Lucky paused, but decided to trust them with his plan. "But, I'm going to ask Dante to help me work on it in secret, maybe find something else out. I'll keep you updated okay? That's that best I can do," he sighed.

"Thanks so much Lucky," Sam gushed, ignoring Jason tensing up at the mention of Dante. "That would be perfect. We'll try and help as much as we can," Sam promised.

Sam and Jason moved away from Lucky, but close enough to see everything that was going on. Jason never took his eyes off Sam.

"Sam, if Jerry isn't the killer, I can't let you out of my sight until the real killer is caught. I don't want to risk your life."

"Your cute when you worry," she purred.

"Sam, this isn't a joke," he said, exasperated.

"I know you're right," she sighed, getting serious. "We need to try and prove Jerry's innocence. If we can do that, then maybe he will help us catch the real killer."

Jason didn't like the idea of working with Jerry Jax for anything, but Sam was right, plus he would do anything to protect her. "I'll have Diane work on it," Jason promised.

"Why is this happening?" Sam asked, tired of always running and hiding. "Why me?"

Jason pulled her into a hug, kissing the top of her head. "I don't know, babe, I'm sorry."

They stayed that way for a long while, bathed in the police lights, flashing red and blue.


	31. The End

_**Hello Readers, **_

_**I realize that I haven't been updating at all lately. I am pressed for time and have been dedicating my fanfiction time updating my other stories which seem to be coming along nicely. This was my first ever FanFic and I am very proud of it and glad that you liked it, too. **_

_**The point of this authors note is that I just wanted to let you know that I am sadly ending the Port Charles Love Wars here. Don't freak out just yet.**_

_**I am making spin off stories for each of the characters story lines. For example, one of the spin offs will be Kristina's life raising the baby, and yet another will be Michael and Kat's story. I am positive though, that this mystery will continue and you will find out the killer, but I'm pretty sure that you all know who it is now. By doing it this way, I can dedicate more time to the killer and JaSam. **_

_**So please, don't hate me for ending this. I wasn't planning on ending it so soon, but it is just too difficult to write all of the characters lives in one story, so I figured spin offs were the easier way to go. I hope you don't stop reading and that you will read the spin offs and my other stories. **_

_**Just go to my profile and check out the spin offs. They aren't up just yet, but I will post another authors note when they are. **_

_**Thank you so much for loyally reading my stories, putting up with my writers block and commenting. I absolutely love reading your comments; it's the best gift I could receive. I am just glad you enjoyed this story and I honestly enjoyed writing it until it became too tough. I promise you will love the spin offs just as much. **_

_**Thanks again…**_

_**xoxo  
Janelle**_


	32. SpinOff Update!

_**Hey guys,**_

_**Just wanted to let you know that I posted one of the spin offs for the Port Charles Love Wars. It is called 'His Bruised Flower' and it is Michael and Kat's story. It's going to come out really good and I hope you guys like it. Sorry it took so long, but there will be more to come, I promise. Make sure to comment to let me know how I'm doing. **_

_**Just in case any of you are Bones fans as well as General Hospital fans, I would check out my Bones story 'You and Me.' I am also planning another one. **_

_**I already have 'Her Guardian Angel'- the Dante and Lulu story, which people seem to be enjoying. **_

_**I'll post another author's note every time I post another spin off story, that way you guys won't miss it. **_

_**Ciao! **_

_**xoxo  
Janelle **_


	33. JaSam Spinoff FINALLY!

_**Dear Readers,**_

_**I am thrilled to announce that the JaSam sequel is finally up! It is called the 'Final Showdown.' I can't wait for you guys to read it. And be sure to review; I love reading them.**_

_**Next new story on the list is probably going to be about Kristina and how she is adjusting to life with a baby. **_

_**Enjoy reading it you guys :) **_

_**xoxo  
Janelle **_


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